


Like Real People Do

by MildGinger



Category: Hellsing
Genre: All of these characters need a damn hug, Alucard (Hellsing) is a Troll, BAMF Integra Hellsing, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Integra Hellsing needs a hug, Not Beta Read, OCs will be present but not central to the plot, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn with Feelings, Post-Canon, Seras Victoria is a very good girl and deserves nice things, Tags Are Hard, mentions of Walter Dornez, no beta we die like men, there may be a plot, vladcard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:15:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28535001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MildGinger/pseuds/MildGinger
Summary: Ten years have passed since the Millennium incident, and Integra and Seras are still putting the pieces of Hellsing back together. Meanwhile, strange reports of vampire activity in the underground club scenes are starting to pile up. With the added stress of Alucard's return, Integra struggles with the balance of her work and personal life and how her servant fits in it now that the world has changed.
Relationships: Alucard/Integra Hellsing, OC/OC, Pip Bernadotte/Seras Victoria
Comments: 79
Kudos: 103





	1. First Friday

Integra stretched her arms above her head and felt her joints shift and pop with satisfaction. It was the end of a long, dreadfully dull week and she closed her laptop with a pleasing _snap_. She had been tasked with overseeing the new special training program for the British military – one that would incorporate some of the more unconventional training that new Hellsing recruits would normally endure. Her days consisted of more administrative duties than fieldwork, and part of her longed for the times of gunning down freaks in a rush of adrenaline.

But that wasn’t her life anymore. Not since the _Zeppelin Affair_ ten years ago.

Ten years. Ten years since the unhinged little major waged his pointless war. Ten years since she watched her city burn, since her home was desecrated. Ten years since she last saw _him_.

She sighed. She didn’t want to think about him this evening. Because tonight was “First Friday”, as Seras had deemed it.

As if summoned with Integra’s thoughts, Seras appeared in the doorway of her office knocking on the open door to get her attention.

“Good evening, Sir Integra,” Seras smiled. “How was your day? Anything interesting happen?” Seras was apparently as restless as she was these days. She had really stepped up after the Millennium incident and had helped Integra raise Hellsing from the ashes to get it functional again. Which included working alongside Integra with planning and implementing the new training with the military. She had offered assistance with the administrative side of the organization and had also seen less fieldwork, but was nonetheless happy to help. But good lord, did it get tedious.

"Just the usual. I just finished up for the day, actually," Integra responded.

“Does that mean…?” the little draculina asked hopefully.

Integra grinned. “Yes, Seras, First Friday is still on for tonight.” Seras’s smile widened.

“Oh, yay! I was really hoping you’d say that! I’ll go get everything ready. What kind of snacks do you want? Oh! I think McCrory picked up some of that wine you like earlier this week. I think I saw some gelato in the freezer, too. Ooooh, we could have a pig out night – but then I suppose the wine and ice cream wouldn’t mix well. Hmmm.” Seras pondered if wine floats were a thing or not.

“I think I’ll have that Chardonnay. And I had a late lunch, so I’ll probably go light on snacks.” Integra gathered up a few loose papers on her desk. “I’ll be there momentarily, Seras. I want to gather up a few things that need my signature to bring along.”

“Sir, you know we’re not supposed to bring work stuff along during First Friday! That was the whole point. It’s meant to be relaxing, and paperwork isn’t relaxing.”

“Speak for yourself. Perhaps I find the repetitive movements of my pen upon paper to be soothing,” Integra said. “Besides, it’s only a handful, and I’ll get through them in half an hour at most. I won’t be able to fully enjoy myself knowing these little pesky buggers are hanging out on my desk to taunt me in the morning.”

Seras sighed in defeat. Master Integra and her paperwork. _Some things never change._ “Fine, I guess. I’ll get the goods and set up. But don’t bring your laptop! You’ll get sucked in to your emails.” Seras retreated to the kitchen to gather up the “supplies”.

Integra chuckled to herself as she placed the documents into a file folder. Seras had strict rules for First Friday. The day in question came about a year or so after the war. The estate’s renovation was almost complete when Seras had the idea to make one of the large, unused parlors into a media room of sorts.

_\------_

_“C’mon, master Integra, we don’t really have a designated living room, and wouldn’t it be nice to get one of those really big tellys with surround sound? We could get a couple of comfy sofas and chairs and watch films and…” Seras had been trailing behind Integra who was doing a walk through with the head contractor of the renovation._

_“Seras, is this at your request, or is Mr. Bernadette petitioning for this?” Integra turned to face the shorter blonde._

_“Ah, well not exactly. I mean, I suppose he’d enjoy it as much as the next…erm…person.” Seras blushed at the mention of her familiar. “But so would the other Geese! All they have is that pitiful TV in the barracks and it’s tiny and so old. They’d really appreciated it, sir.”_

_Integra considered it for a moment. “Alright then.” She turned to the contractor. “Please work with Miss Victoria in designing this…media room.” The contractor nodded and began to chat with a very excited Seras about layout and whatnot._

_\-------_

After that, Seras had convinced Integra to join her on the first Friday of each month for a girl’s night of sorts. Integra snorted to herself as she walked down the hall. Seras usually picked the film or TV shows they would watch, but they mainly ended up chatting for most of the night. It had actually been a godsend in retrospect. Integra had understandably fallen into a depression in the following months after the war, and had flat out refused to see a therapist. Seras wasn’t fairing any better herself and she grappled with the aftermath of…well, _everything_. The two had inevitably become quite close in the past few years. Integra would go as far to say that Seras was her best (possibly only) friend.

They had both lost so much, and not just during the war. After getting to know Seras, Integra discovered they actually had quite a lot in common. Both had grown up without parents (albeit Seras had lost hers in a more horrific manner), had difficulty making friends, and had to prove themselves in predominantly male careers. Integra found it amusing that she was so wary of the girl when _he_ had first brought her home. Integra felt a tightening of her throat at the mere thought of him for the second time tonight and quickly righted herself. Tonight was supposed to be fun and lighthearted, and she wouldn’t allow herself to brood on thoughts of her missing Count tonight.

When she reached the media room, she saw Pip Bernadette – well, half of him, anyways – leaning out of the wall over Sera’s shoulder looking at the TV guide that she was scrolling through. After the reconstruction, Seras discovered how she could remove Pip from her body and he took up residence as the official Hellsing estate security system. He was pleased to be able to help protect the organization in a more official capacity, even after his untimely death, and she was pleased that he wasn’t smoking inside of her body anymore. Though, since Integra quit smoking, she didn’t appreciate the smell of that smoke wafting through the corridors at random. It made her crave tobacco to the point of her wanting to snatch the cheap cigarettes out of Pip’s stupid, grinning mouth and eat the damn things.

“Ah, chère, please tell me that you aren’t going to watch that garbage reality show stuff tonight,” Pip groused.

“What do you care? It’s not like you’re watching it,” Seras turned to see Integra cross the room to a large chair next to the couch. Well, they called it chair, but the thing was large enough to be considered a love seat. “Sorry, Captain, but you’re not invited tonight. We’ll watch something together tomorrow, okay? I’ll let you pick.”

Pip offered a crooked grin. “That works for me. Maybe you can wear some more, uh, suitable pajamas for our movie date? Honestly, Seras, you’re a grown woman.” He was, of course, referring to Seras’s ridiculous pink and white polka-dotted pajamas. He always huffed about that particular set of sleepwear.

“I don’t wear them for you, you pig,” she stuck her tongue out at him. “They’re comfy, cute and I like them. So there.”

“Captain Bernadette, good evening,” Integra said while getting settled in her favorite chair. She curled up and arranged her papers and got out a pen – she was ready to get these out of her way so she could enjoy herself.

“Evening, boss,” Pip nodded towards the Hellsing director. “Well, I’ll leave you two ladies to your hen party.” Integra gave him a quick glare at that remark before he disappeared back into the wall.

“And no eavesdropping, mister! You know the rules,” Seras called out to the room.

The response was a lighthearted laugh reverberating around the two women. “Fine, fine. Have fun.”

“Finally,” she flipped the TV to some reality docu-series about a wedding dress boutique. “Hope you don’t mind, master, but he’s been teasing about me watching this show, and now I kind of just want to watch it out of spite.”

Integra glanced at the screen to see some women bickering over lace trim and berating the would-be bride’s first option of dress. She thought this drivel was as silly as Pip did, but she wouldn’t begrudge Seras in watching it. After all, it was her turn to pick and Integra had made her watch a natural science documentary last time. It’s the least she could do. “I don’t mind at all. Could you please pour me a glass of wine?”

Seras nodded. “I know it’s silly because I can’t really ever get married, at least not in the traditional sense. But I love seeing all the gowns. They’re just so pretty. I always wanted a big ball gown with beading and pick-ups in the skirt.” Seras handed the generously filled glass to Integra. “I planned it all out since I was a little girl – down the to cummerbunds the groomsmen would wear.” The girl sighed.

Integra moved the first signed document to the side table and sipped her wine. “Well, I don’t personally understand it, but I don’t think it’s silly. Normal little girls tend to think of those sorts of things, I suppose. I don’t believe I ever did, come to think of it. Too busy learning about the family business and attending school.”

Seras had a hard time imagining Integra as a little girl. She would bet that even as a child, Integra probably wasn’t the most feminine of girls so it wasn’t terribly surprising that she hadn’t agonized over the length of a dress train in her youth. She turned back to the television, “I think you’d look nice in something like that, master. You could totally pull it off.”

Integra lifted her eyes from the form she was currently reviewing to see a woman in a slim-fitting trumpet-style gown with a sweetheart neckline. She scoffed. “Really? You don’t think that’s a bit…much?”

“No way! It would be so elegant on you!” Seras protested.

Integra smiled, “If you say so.” She focused her attention back to the papers in her lap. Only three more to go. “Hand me some of that chocolate, will you? I’m peckish.”

Seras still had her eyes glued to the screen as she blindly handed over a large bar of dark chocolate. “Oooooh, my, that one is gorgeous! Ugh, it’s so pretty.”

Integra signed her name to a form and looked up. “She looks like a whorish cupcake,” she deadpanned.

“What!? No way! Okay, maybe it’s a little poofy-looking and her boobs are hanging out a bit, but it’s…like avant garde or whatever,” the little blonde protested. “It’s regal.”

“It’s positively garish,” Integra snorted. She signed the last form and added it the stack of papers on the side table. She broke off a square of chocolate and sipped her wine. “How could she even dance in that thing? The groom couldn’t even get close enough to kiss her at the alter, let alone dance. You could fit a small army under that skirt.”

Sera sipped her blood pack like a juice box. After the Zorin incident, she hadn’t been squeamish about drinking her blood. It also gave her the added strength to remove Pip from herself and carry on without feeling any weakness. “You got me there. Oh, there you go, master,” Seras giggled at the screen. “That one is MADE for you!”

The dress currently featured was certainly avant garde. The bottom looked normal enough – a full tulle skirt. The top looked like a business suit jacket in white with a plunging neckline.

“Strap a gun halter to it, and I’d be good to go,” Integra laughed along with Seras. Integra drained the rest of her glass and gave herself a refill. She was finally starting to feel relaxed. _I must be turning into a lightweight,_ she thought to herself. She could already feel the warmth in her cheeks from the alcohol.

Seras was still giggling over the ridiculous-looking gown. “To be fair, Sir Integra, you could wear a garbage bag and master would still think you were perfect, so I don’t think you’d have to worry too much.” Seras immediately regretted the words as the fell from her lips. Her master was still a touchy topic with Integra, and she never appreciated _those_ kinds of innuendos when it came to their relationship. _Whatever their relationship was,_ Seras mused. She knew they were more than master/servant, but she just wasn’t quite sure how far it went. And she wasn’t about to ask Integra about it.

Integra leveled her good eye at the screen and refused to look at Seras. Her throat felt tight again at the mention of Alucard, but she kept her composure. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she gave a tight smile. “He’d definitely make fun of the tulle and say I looked like a ballerina and a lawyer fused together.” The wine made it easier to talk lightly about him.

Seras inwardly sighed in relief. She dodged a bullet there. The women on the television were now fussing at a bride’s choice of dress with a neckline certainly not suited for a church ceremony. The bride’s chest was almost obscenely spilling out of the bodice. “You’re right. He’d prefer you in this one instead,” she said with a laugh. She didn’t mean to push her luck. It just sort of slipped out.

Integra couldn’t help but laugh as well. She had to, or she may start brooding again. Not yet. Not now. “Fair enough. Hand me that popcorn.” Integra proceeded to stuff her face with the crunchy treat to stop herself from saying anything else on the topic.

The rest of the evening proceeded in much of the same way. Seras had apparently recorded several episodes, so they continued commenting and making fun of the gowns until almost midnight. Integra had downed three more glasses of wine and finished off the chocolate bar. Seras had added one of her blood packs to a goblet of Pinot Noir and orange slices to make a bastardized version of sangria. The comments devolved into mainly giggles and snarky remarks. Integra stretched out with a yawn. “It’s getting late. I think I’m going to turn in. Would you mind dropping off those papers on my desk?”

Seras nodded. “Sure thing, master. Sleep well. Want me to let McCrory know to let you sleep in tomorrow?”

“Not past 8:30, please. We have a meeting with that detective from Walsall tomorrow at 11:00, and I want time to prepare. They’ve had more reports of those underground parties in some abandoned building off one of the canals.”

Seras nodded. Thanks to the training program, the military was equipped to handle the more typical vampire incidents that Hellsing would’ve normally worked back in the day, but the more specialized cases were still reserved for them. Recently, some strange reports of vampire activity had been noted in underground club scenes. Oddly, no ghouls had been created, but people were being attacked – sucked dry and left for dead. While she did miss having fieldwork, Integra couldn’t help but feel uneasy about these recent cases.

When Integra entered her room, she let out a yawn and began to get ready for bed. She was a bit wobbly due to her wine, but she managed to undress without falling over. She dug around in the back of her wardrobe pulled out the large, white button down shirt she wanted to sleep in. She pulled it on and it fell loosely to her knees as she made her way over to the bed with heavy legs and collapsed.

A couple of years after the war, she finally worked up the courage to go to his room. She didn’t have any purpose other than just wanting to feel close to him again. She was surprised to discover he actually had spare clothes in a wardrobe hidden away in a dark corner of the room. She had thought his clothes just…manifested as part of himself. She had taken one of his white shirts at the time and hid it in the bottom of her wardrobe. When the mood struck her, she’d pull it out and sleep in it. It was comforting to her, in a way. _In a sad, pathetic way,_ she mused. _Why the hell haven’t you come back home yet, Count?_

Integra yawned again as she looked up at her canopy. He used to watch over her when she slept, usually hidden away in the dark corners of the room. She slept terribly after the war – the nightmares were horrific and unsettlingly vivid. Her monster wasn’t there to chase the bad dreams away like he did when she was a little girl. She cuddled down into her soft blankets and his shirt and willed herself to have a dreamless sleep. Or at least dreams without burning cityscapes, rotting corpses, or his fading, closing eyes as he bid her farewell.

About three hours later, the shadows in the corner of her bedroom started to shift and expand.


	2. Welcome Home

_No grave can hold my body down._ _I'll crawl home to her._

_\- Hozier, Work Song_

It felt like he was dragging himself through deep, thick mud. He was so tired, so weary and worn, and all he wanted was to rest. He’s done nothing but slaughter and battle for so many years, and he wanted to just sleep for a week or three in his coffin. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate – to be aware of every cell in his body – as he willed himself to become whole again and tear through his subconscious. He thought back to her and her screams as he had drifted that day so many years ago. _“Don’t leave me,”_ she had pleaded, her voice cracking. The sound of his Iron Maiden breaking.

_I must get back; I must not disobey her orders. I’m so sorry, Integra, my master. I’m trying – I promise I’m trying._

If he could sense her, or even Seras, he could find his way home. Because home is wherever those two women resided. His protégé and his Countess. His child and his keeper. How long had it been since he had last seen their faces? _Too long, far too long. They will be angry with me._ He’d honestly prefer anger to their disappointment. Seras’s cheeks would puff out when she was angry, and it made her too cute to take seriously. And Integra…well, he personally loved how her face contorted in fury. It was delicious.

And then he felt it, like a thread snapping into place. _Home, home, home! I can feel them._ He suddenly felt as if he was emerging from icy water. When he opened his eyes, he was in her bedroom. He blinked once, twice. It didn’t look like anything was any different. This was real, and he was finally home. His attention was pulled to the bed where he heard stirring. He cautiously approached, thankful he didn’t need to breathe.

And there she was. Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing was facing away from him, but he’d know those long, platinum locks anywhere. He grinned when he heard her murmuring in her sleep like she used to do when she had nightmares in her youth. Her scent soon flooded him, and he couldn’t help his mouth from watering. He hadn’t fed in ten years, and he was starving. And, dear lord, she smelled heavenly. _Just a taste, just a little treat,_ he reasoned as he leaned over her form.

**BANG, BANG, BANG.**

He felt the bullets tear through his body and he was blown back to the wall next to her bed. _Perfect aim, my Countess. Always perfect._ He couldn’t repress the laugh that bubbled up from his chest.

A few seconds later, Seras kicked down the door to the bedroom. “Sir Integra! Are you alright?! Where is the intruder?”

“I see that you’re still as loud as ever, police girl,” Alucard said with a smirk.

“MASTER! YOU’RE HOME! Oh my goodness, you’re finally home!” Seras cried out in disbelief.

Integra crawled out of bed, bleary-eyed, with the pistol still in her shaky hand. _Could that really be him? Is…is this just another dream? Am I still drunk?_ “And just where the **HELL** have you been, servant?” _Well. That could’ve come out better, couldn’t it?_

He chuckled at her wrath. “I’ve been destroying all the souls within myself. Millions of them. I destroyed every last one of them until only one remained. And now I’m everywhere and nowhere.” He watched her climb out of the bed and his eyes raked up and down her body. _What a view indeed_ , he thought to himself as he noted her long, bare legs from his vantage point on the floor.

“What does that even mean, master?” Seras asked, decidedly confused. He still seemed to speak in riddles after all these years.

“I purged the poison inside of my body and was able to literally clear my mind, so to speak. That’s how I was able to make my way back here,” he explained. He was still eyeing Integra hungrily. “I don’t quite have a clear understanding of how the omnipresence works just yet.”

“It certainly took you long enough,” huffed Integra as she made her way to stand over him. She noticed how he leered at her. She hated that she didn’t find it the least bit indecent.

“My apologies, master. I promise I came back as soon as I could.” He at least tried to sound remorseful. The effect was lost, however, with the way he was staring at her like he wanted to eat her. “Is that my shirt?” he asked, bemused.

Heat flared to her cheeks. Even the tips of her ears burned. _Damn him._ “Never mind that,” she grumbled. She instead noted how the gunshot wounds weren’t healing themselves quite as fast as they normally would. “Were you really going to try to take my blood while I slept? Like I was some sort of harlequin damsel?”

“I haven’t had a drop to drink in a decade. I’m starving,” he whined. Now that he wasn’t trying to rile her up, she noticed just how tired he looked. Every bit of the five hundred and some odd years of his existence seemed to reflect in his eyes.

She heaved a sigh and walked over to her bedside table to trade her gun for a letter opener. She returned to him with a little smile as she sliced the tip of a finger and extended her hand over his prone body.

“Welcome home, my dear Count.”

“Home forever more, my Countess,” he replied and eagerly opened his mouth to receive his prize. His eyes dilated when the drops fell to his tongue. She tasted just as sweet as she did when she first awoke him 20 years ago. He did notice the distinct lack of tar in her blood and was very pleased. He always hated those foul-smelling cigars of hers.

Integra turned to Seras who had been watching the exchange. “Seras, please go fetch your master some extra blood packs.”

“Right away! Master, I’ll see if we have any of your favorites in stock,” she added happily. The girl looked positively giddy. As she passed Integra on her way out, she quietly asked, “Is that his shirt, though? It looks too big to be one of yours.”

“Just _go_ , please,” Integra said with gritted teeth. She heard him rumble with laughter behind them. Seras giggled a bit and made her way out of the bedroom. Integra turned to face him again and saw that he was still bleeding out on her floor. “Why aren’t you healing yet?” she asked softly.

“I’m afraid that my ever long battle and lack of sustenance has left me weakened. I’ll be fine after feeding and some rest in my coffin,” he reassured her as she walked closer to him. She knelt down, placing the letter opener on the floor as she sat against the wall next to him, but she didn’t look at him. She was close enough that he could feel the heat coming from her body, and he couldn’t help being reminded of a much smaller Integra sitting down next to his dried up corpse in the dungeon all those years ago.

She swallowed and opened her mouth, then closed it again. She sighed and was faintly trembling. “I missed you, you know.” She said it so quietly that a normal person wouldn’t have heard her. “I…I don’t,” she started and stopped again, trying to keep her breathing even.

_I missed you more than you could ever know,_ he thought _._ He could see that she was struggling with herself, and he wanted to reach out and touch her, comfort her, anything. _I’m sorry, so sorry, my Integra._ But he was afraid of breaking the moment. She was so rarely this open with him.

“Don’t you dare leave me like that again. That’s an order. Do you understand?” She managed to sound like her old self again for a moment.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, my master,” he smiled without looking manic for once. He watched as she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them.

She finally turned her head to look him in the eye, resting her chin on her knees. “I’m still upset that you took so long, but I’m glad that you’re finally back,” she murmured. She was fighting with everything that she had to keep her tears from falling.

He was aching to touch her, but his arms felt so heavy. _I don’t deserve to lay my hands on her,_ he thought. “Integra,” he said, focusing to keep his voice steady, “I swear to you that I wouldn’t have ever left you if I could have helped it. And nothing, save for an act of God himself, is going to take me from your side ever again. This, I can promise you.” He felt a sudden stab of guilt as he focused on the tears that began to roll down her cheek. She brushed them away before he could attempt to move.

She reached over to take his limp hand on the floor and gave it a gentle squeeze. He soaked in the warmth of her hand. “Thank you,” she whispered with a tiny smile. She promptly released it as she heard footsteps approaching.

Seras bounced through the door with an ice bucket full of blood packs in one hand and steaming cup of tea in the other. After months of practice, she was able to figure out how to manipulate her shadows to reform her missing arm. She sat in front of her masters and crossed her legs. “Nothing like a 3:00 A.M. picnic, eh?” She noted that the tension that always seemed to gather in the room whenever her two masters were left alone was quite thick. She imagined that there would be many long talks between the two of them in the days to come. She didn’t envy her master. Sir Integra was going to probably run him through the wringer.

Integra ignored how her heart was hammering away in her chest and took the mug of tea that Seras offered. “3:00, you say? I’m going to look a like a haggard mess for my meeting in the morning.”

Seras sat the bucket on the floor and handed her master a blood bag and watched as he ripped in to the thing like starved dog. “Do you think you could push it back a bit? I know he’s coming all the way from Walsall, but maybe the detective could do some site-seeing around town before popping in?”

Integra shook her head and took a sip of the offered tea. It wasn’t as good as Walter’s, but Seras’s tea-brewing skills were still quite good. “No, that would hardly be professional to reschedule at the last minute. Besides, there’s not much site-seeing to do around London these days unless you’re very interested in construction sites,” Integra said, trying to stifle a yawn. She might have still had a little buzz from the wine she had earlier in the night, too.

Alucard was already on his third bag of blood as he watched the exchange between the two women. There was an easiness to the conversation that wasn’t present with them ten years ago. He supposed it would only be natural for the two to bond while he was away for so long. He had hoped that they would warm up to each other eventually. Integra was not at all pleased when he had brought Seras home.

\------

_“You had better hope that little plaything of yours doesn’t cock up any missions, servant,” Integra had spat at him while she sat behind her large desk. “If she becomes a liability, I will order you to exterminate her yourself. Do I make myself clear?”_

_“Crystal clear, my master. Why ever would you think her a toy, though? Perhaps I thought we could use another vampire around here to help out,” he said and smiled at her insolently. “Honestly, with these new vermin crawling around, I would’ve thought that you would have appreciated the extra assistance.”_

_“Why would I think that you bringing home a giant-titted, obscenely young blonde tart was suspicious? Really, Alucard? Are you seriously asking me this?” Integra stood and snuffed out her cigar in the ashtray, rounding her desk to jab her finger to his chest as she glared up at him. She was practically vibrating in rage. God, she looked divine. “You’re supposed to be our garbage disposal. Why in the bloody hell would we need any help? It would make more sense that your blood lust isn’t being sated in your missions and that you were looking for an easy outlet. Fucking needing help…that’s complete bullshit and you know it.”_

_He twittered in amusement as she seethed. “Now, now, my sweet master. You’re starting to sound like your jealous. You of all people should know that you are the only one that could ever relieve me of my lusts, blood or otherwise.” He watched her face flush deeper in either rage or embarrassment – most likely both. “You need not worry about the police girl taking my attention away from you or the duties that you assign to me. I’m as faithful as a loyal dog, just as I’ve always been.”_

_She was still glowering at him with her arms crossed. “Whatever, Alucard. Just make sure she’s trained well and stays the hell out of my way. And I’m not bluffing about having you end her if she gets out of hand. I can only handle one feral beast around here.”_

_\-----_

He faintly smiled at the memory. Integra would have rather died than to admit that she was just a little bit jealous of the police girl. In the following weeks after Seras’s arrival, he noticed Integra slowly taking a liking to the girl. It simply can’t be helped; Seras was too amiable to shun for too long.

Seras finished up the blood bag that she had grabbed for herself. “In that case, Sir Integra, perhaps you should go back to bed? Master probably would like to get to his coffin for some rest as well.”

“What a devoted little servant you are, police girl.” Alucard drawled as he added the final empty blood pack to the small pile next to him. The wounds in his torso finally began to close. “Doting on your masters like a concerned mother hen.”

“Somebody has to with as bull-headed as you two are,” the girl grumbled to herself.

Alucard sniggered and Integra rolled her eye as she stood to her feet. “Alucard, you are dismissed. Rest up as long as you need. We’ll get you up to speed on operations once you’re feeling better,” Integra explained and turned to Seras. “As you for you, make sure that he actually does get some rest. If you’re still awake when McCrory arrives for his morning shift, please let him know of Alucard’s return so that he can tidy up the basement rooms a bit. Just make sure he avoids the area around his coffin.”

Seras gave her a little salute and took Integra’s empty teacup and collected the ice bucket from the floor. “Sir, yes sir! C’mon, master, let’s let Integra go back to sleep.”

Alucard, however, didn’t need to be told twice. He was already melting into the shadows to retreat to his beloved final resting place. As much as he was reveling in their little family reunion, he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. Seras shrugged and left the room and softly shut the door behind her.

Integra was left standing in the middle of her room. The empty blood bags, gun shell casings, and the bloody letter opener were the only signs that anything odd had just occurred in the bedroom. She wearily dragged herself back to bed and once again stared at her bed canopy. It was all too surreal. She silently prayed that this all wasn’t some strange, lucid dream. She didn’t think her heart could handle it.

She covered her face with a pillow and groaned. She could really, really use a fucking cigar right about now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! Chapter two is here, and our favorite bastard is home. I did borrow a little from the OVA final episode because I actually thought it was pretty sweet. I just wanted to flesh it out a little. I'm hoping to update this fic weekly so I can stay on track. I'm already a few chapters out, so I'm feeling optimistic about that schedule.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for next chapter, where we learn who the heck this random McCrory guy is, find out a little bit more about the murder cases, and Alucard is a troll.
> 
> Pro-tip: Listening to Hozier while writing Hellsing fics improves productivity by like 30%, at least. You got the horny on main, so much pining, and sacrilegious overtones. Win-win.


	3. Creature Fear

Louis McCrory was a fairly easy-going man. It took quite a lot to rattle him. He had, after all, survived the attack on London ten years ago. He and his family had taken to the sewers to hide until the nightmare was over. Afterwards, being in need of employment, he happily discovered an opening with the very organization that had helped crush the Nazi scum that had devastated the city. Yes, the government would have you believe that the Zeppelin Affair was a bioterrorist attack, nothing more. But he knows what he saw. Grotesque, rotting soldiers tearing his neighbors limb from limb – he knew they were not human. As he shoved his dear wife Marie down a manhole to hide, he saw a young woman cutting down the fetid corpses with a sword. With her ice-cold blue eyes and white-blonde hair billowing in the wind, she looked like a Valkyrie that had come to deliver judgment to the unrighteous.

And that same woman had interviewed him for his position as head of staff/butler for the Hellsing organization. Sir Integra Wingates Fairbrook Hellsing had filled him in on the truth of the Zeppelin Affair once he was vetted and approved as an employee. He always appreciated her no-nonsense approach and honesty. Once he learned the purpose of Hellsing, his unflappable attitude came in as an indispensable resource. He had been working for Hellsing for roughly seven years, and he was sure that he has seen things that no man should ever have to witness in their lives. In a strange way, it gave him some pride. For he, Louis McCrory, was not some middle-aged father wasting away in some dead-end office job. No, he was serving a higher purpose. He was serving an organization that answered to no one save for her majesty and God himself.

Even if said servitude to the organization was simply doing the laundry or picking up groceries. Which he did a lot of, but he did other important things. Yes, Louis McCrory held his head high regardless of his duties and did so with a calm, reserved attitude, _thank you very much._

McCrory squared his shoulders, balancing Sir Integra’s dry cleaning on one arm as he made his way down the hall to his small office to prepare for the day. As he placed the freshly pressed suits on a hanger, he heard a small knock on the other side of the door.

“Gooood morning, Mr. McCrory! I hope you’re doing well. I have some exciting news!” Seras seemed to be glowing with how happy she was. She somehow always managed to stay positive no matter what was going on, but she was simply ecstatic this morning. He couldn’t help but smile softly at the vampire. She reminded him of his dear Marie when they first started dating.

“And a good morning to you, Miss Victoria,” replied McCrory. “I’m doing quite well, thank you. What good news would you like to share with me this morning?”

“Do you remember Sir Integra and me telling you about my master, Alucard? Well, you’re not going to believe this,” she took him by the shoulders, “but my master has finally come home! He’s really, finally back! Oh I’m so, so happy! And Sir Integra is so relieved, I can tell.”

McCrory kept his face pleasantly calm as his head bobbed back and forth when the little draculina shook his shoulders with a force that would probably leave him with a sore neck later. But that name gave him pause. He remembered being told about the vampire Alucard. And he remembered what the remaining original staff of Hellsing would say about the creature. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine. Perhaps it was all heresy. Surely sweet Seras wouldn’t associate with such a being unless it had some redeeming qualities, no?

“Is that so?” McCrory righted himself when Seras released him and straightened his necktie with a chuckle. “Well, I look forward to meeting the legendary Alucard. Tell me, Miss Victoria, did Sir Integra leave you with any instructions for me this morning? With your other master’s arrival, I’m sure she has some items that need tending to.”

“Oh, yes,” Seras stood back with her hands behind her back, now all business. “Sir Integra would like to be awake by no later than 8:30 this morning so that she can get ready with her meeting with the detective. Also, since master’s home, she’d appreciate it if you could clean up his room a bit. It’s just down the hall from mine. Just, uh…don’t touch his coffin. Or go near it. Actually, avoid looking at it if you can,” she added as a hasty afterthought. McCrory was always sweet to her and treated her well, but she was sure her master was going to enjoy scaring the ever-loving piss out of the poor man. He carried himself well, but she was certain that if anything could ruffle McCrory’s feathers, it would be her mischievous master.

McCrory replied, “I’ll see to it then, Miss Victoria. And no worries, if I can get used to you, I’m sure I won’t have any trouble with your master. I’ll take care to avoid his coffin, though. Do have a good rest today, and I will see you this evening.”

Seras thanked him and left cheerfully humming a tune, slightly off key. McCrory felt a ripple around the walls of his office.

“Hey, vieillard homme, the girl isn’t kidding around about the coffin. The old bat is incredibly particular about that box of his,” Pip Bernadette explained, his disembodied voice filling the room. “And, fair warning, his room is creepy as fuck. Dust what you have to, and get the hell out of there.

McCrory smiled, though he felt himself begin to sweat nervously. “It’s surely not that bad. This entire manor is a little off, if you ask me,” he said, taking a slight jab at the fact that a literal dead person was currently inhabiting the walls of the estate.

“Suit yourself, then. Can’t say I didn’t warn you,” Pip offered as McCrory felt his presence melt away.

McCrory gulped and shook himself out of his anxiety. Sir Integra would need waking soon, and it wouldn’t do for her to see her butler a nervous wreck.

\-------

Sitting at her desk, Integra drained her third cup of tea this morning. She was understandably feeling exhausted after barely sleeping at all last night. _Maybe I should switch to coffee today,_ she thought to herself. She wasn’t a particular fan of the stuff, but maybe it would perk her up a bit more. She had tossed and turned all night, waking up to check if those empty blood packs were actually still in the floor to confirm that her Count had in fact came home and it wasn’t all some bizarre dream. She heard a knock on her office door.

“Come in,” she said, clearing away some files on her desk and getting out a fresh notebook for her meeting. An older, ginger-bearded gentleman entered the room following McCrory.

“My lady, Detective Benjamin Brady is here for your meeting. Shall I bring you any refreshments?” McCrory announced.

“That would be lovely, thank you, McCrory.” Integra stood and offered her hand to shake Detective Brady’s.

“Sir Integra Hellsing, it’s an honor to finally meet you in person,” the detective said, shaking her hand. “It’s always nice to put a face with a name. Shame we couldn’t meet under more pleasant circumstances.” Integra tried keeping a straight face at his Brummie accent. She always thought they sounded funny.

Integra sat back down behind her desk. “Likewise, Mr. Brady. I understand that besides the latest murder that occurred a few days ago in Walsall, you’ve had a development in the other club cases?” Brady made himself comfortable in the chair in front of her desk and sat his briefcase in his lap.

“Yes, Sir Hellsing, but we’re not quite sure what to make of it,” he explained. He opened his case and pulled out a small, clear plastic pouch and placed it on the desk between them. Integra leaned in and looked at what appeared to be a small, pink-ish pill in the bag. She picked up the bag, bringing it closer to her face and noticed a faint stamp of a little bat on the pill. “We recovered this from one of the warehouses where we located the drained bodies last week. One of the victims had a couple of these pills on their person, so we’ve sent those to the lab. I wouldn’t mind if your folks could take a look at this one, though. Your people may be able to detect something we wouldn’t even think to look for.”

Integra placed the bag back down on her desk as McCrory re-entered the room with a cart of small sandwiches, biscuits, coffee and tea. He rolled the cart over to Integra’s desk, and promptly left them again. Integra decided she definitely needed the coffee and poured herself a cup.

“And the bodies? Any changes from the previous victims?” She questioned while adding a bit of cream to her cup.

“No, ma’am. The two unidentified males discovered this time presented with the usual puncture wounds on their necks. They were drained completely of their blood without any other visible injuries. We’ve swabbed under their fingernails to see if we can get any traces of DNA in case they tried to fight off their attackers. There didn’t really seem to be any signs of a struggle, though. If anything, they looked…well, completely peaceful, to be honest,” Mr. Brady helped himself to a cup of tea and one of the biscuits from the cart. “However, we did get the autopsy results back from the female victim found in September’s murder. The results have our coroner stumped,” he handed Integra a file with the victim’s chart. “It appeared that her own DNA was altered. The coroner said it wasn’t necessarily considered human anymore.”

“Altered? How can that be?” Integra thumbed through the case file while she felt a lump of dread settle in her stomach. This sounded too familiar to what researchers found in the bodies of the chipped faux vampires that Millennium had created.

Brady sighed and shook his head after taking a bite of his biscuit. “Maybe your team can answer that question. I’m afraid we’re not trained in these matters. I’m actually here to formally request that Hellsing take the lead over the investigation on these cases. While consulting with your agency has been most helpful, I’m afraid that we’re in over our heads. We’re of course happy to lend any resources that you may need, and I wouldn’t mind being kept in the loop with your findings.” Brady finished his tea and continued, “We do have a lead in the case, I’m happy to report. According to what our sources have heard buzzing around on social media, a club is due to pop up at a condemned pub in Birmingham in the next couple of weeks.”

Integra leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers in front of her face, taking in all the information. “I believe our best bet is to get one of our own people inside of this club and see for ourselves what is taking place. I have someone in mind,” Integra sardonically grinned. _Seras always said that she missed clubbing with her friends._ “In the meantime, I will have our lab look at this pill you’ve brought me and hopefully Dr. Trevelyan can shine some light on this autopsy. Hellsing will take every measure that these cases will be solved swiftly and with the utmost discretion.”

Detective Brady took that as his cue to leave and stood from his chair. “I thank you very much for your time this morning, Sir Hellsing. I have no doubt that your organization can handle this. Lord knows we’re not able to on our own,” he added reluctantly. He shook her hand again. “May God be with you.”

“Amen, and thank you detective Brady,” replied Integra, bidding the detective goodbye. McCrory entered to escort the detective off the premises. Integra stared at the little bagged pill on her desk along with the autopsy report. _I don’t like this. Not one bit._ She pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed, trying to stave off her oncoming headache. She opened one of her desk drawers and dug around for a nicotine patch. _What I wouldn’t do for a smoke right about now._

\-------

McCrory stood in front of the massive wooden door leading down to the basement levels of the estate. He’d been down there almost every day since he’s been employed by Hellsing, but he’s never gone further than Miss Victoria’s room. With a deep breath, he gathered up his cleaning supplies and pushed the door open. _Get it together, man. You’ve done this before. Don’t let that Frenchman rile you up._ He walked down the stone staircase and came to the end of the corridor, passed Seras’s room, to the darkened door and the end. He willed his body to calm down as he opened it. As he stepped inside, he noticed that it was quite sparse. A strange, throne-like chair was against the wall with a small side table next to it. There were a couple of other pieces of furniture, but besides that, not much else. He noticed what looked like a large chest in the floor on the other end of the room and decided that this must be the coffin he was warned about.

**SLAM.**

McCrory’s blood ran cold. The door had just come closed with a force that couldn’t be blamed on a draft. The light from the hall had been cut off and he was submerged in thick, inky darkness. It was suffocating. _Breathe, just breathe. It’s probably just Bernadette trying to pull a silly stunt on me._ He pulled out his cell and used the flashlight to provide some illumination. His eyes seemed to play tricks on him, as the shadows themselves appeared to undulate and writhe when the light hit them before retreating. He attempted to find a light switch and was shining his light along the wall when he felt something wrap around his ankle. With an undignified screech, he flung the phone across the room and spun around to try and see what had touched him. His eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness, but he was still squinting hard to make out any shapes in the room.

“Very funny, Captain Bernadette!” McCrory yelled out to the room, trying to not sound hysterical. “I’ll have Miss Victoria give you a stern talking to whenever I see her this evening. You’ll be in the proverbial dog house for the rest of the week, young man!”

Something then shifted in the room, something large. McCrory didn’t dare breathe. It kept growing, and the source seemed to be coming from... “Oh for fuck’s sake,” McCrory muttered, trembling. The coffin itself seemed to be leaking dark tendrils. Suddenly, the coils shot across the room to converge on him all at once, pooling at his feet. He was shaking uncontrollably now. The pool of shadows at his feet began to rise to meet him at eye-level, taking the rough shape of a head and torso. Two hellish red eyes formed and peered back at him.

“You are very loud, little man,” a deep voice scraped out from the dark blob. “You’re disturbing my rest, and I am so very tired.”

McCrory managed to squeak out, “I – I’m…”

The blob continued as if McCrory hadn’t uttered a word. “Do you know what I do with intruders, little loud man?” The voice was getting lower, quieter. McCrory watched in horror as he was met with a sinister Cheshire grin full of razor-sharp teeth.

“I suggest you run along now,” the voice was barely above a whisper.

McCrory was paralyzed in fear. _Run, run you idiot. MOVE!_ He screamed internally.

The door snapped open and rattled on its hinges, pouring light from the corridor into the room.

A weary sigh escaped the shadow blob. “Don’t make me repeat myself. Out. Now.”

McCrory felt his feet move before he fully registered what was happening. He broke out into a full sprint when he reached the corridor and didn’t stop until he reached the top of the stairs and was out of the basement, leaving his phone and cleaning supplies behind. He slammed the door shut and leaned against it, panting. He was still shaking like a leaf.

“What did I tell you? Creepy as fuck, man,” Pip’s voice echoed around him. “Just wait until you actually meet him in person. Same effect, maybe even worse.”

McCrory took a few steadying breaths, straightened his suit jacket and walked away and Pip swore he could hear the butler mumbling obscenities at him under his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, and thanks for reading Chapter 3! I hope you enjoyed it. This was a fun one for me. :)  
> McCrory isn't going to be playing any major role in the plot - he's mainly comic relief, and he's roughly based off of Mosley from Downton Abbey, lol. He's trying his best, you guys. No Walter-esqe betrayals, either. 
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll get a case update from Trevelyan and Alucard aggravates/pervs on his dear Integra. 
> 
> Again, thanks for reading! I find it absolutely insane but incredibly heart-warming to know that people are actually still interested in this fandom and participating in it. I guess Covid has us all seeking some nostalgic comfort, yes?


	4. New, but Familiar

_It can't be unlearned_ _  
I've known the warmth of your doorways  
Through the cold, I'll find my way back to you  
Oh, please, give me mercy no more  
That's a kindness you can't afford  
I warn you, baby, each night, as sure as you're born  
You'll hear me howling outside your door_

_\- Hozier, It Will Come Back_

A week and a half had passed since her meeting with detective Brady. Integra was currently with Dr. Trevelyan in his office near the onsite infirmary to discuss his progress in reviewing the autopsy of the female victim recovered from one of the club killings a couple of months ago.

“I’m still waiting for some of the lab results to come in, but I was able to note some oddities in the autopsy report of the Jane Doe,” Trevelyan explained. He referred to the file on his desk, “According to this, the coroner found a large quantity of blood in the victim’s stomach. However, there were no signs of internal bleeding, no abrasions, and no hernias. Nothing to explain the amounts they found. I believe the victim consumed the blood within an hour or so before death.”

“But the body had no puncture wounds. Nothing to indicate that she had been turned,” Integra began.

“No, no bite marks were recorded by the coroner. I also couldn’t find any in my review of the photos. Per my recommendations that I passed along to the police department early on in the investigations, the coroner also did a thorough search, but found no chip in the body,” he said.

Well, that was at least some good news. After the war, most of the Millennium chips had been destroyed, but they couldn’t be certain that a few chipped freaks weren’t still running around. Integra asked, “Not finding any bite marks is still concerning, though. What about the pill? Anything back from the lab yet?”

“Ah, yes. And what we’ve found is truly fascinating, Sir Hellsing. At first glance, the pill almost has the same chemical structure as methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA. Ecstasy, I believe, is the street name. I imagine that this pill would function in a similar fashion, meaning that it is a psychoactive drug with amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties. The other components, however, are the more worrying. They are almost identical to the organic materials found in the Millennium chips. From what I understand, these pills would have the same capabilities to alter the user’s DNA, just as the chips did. However, given the chemical similarity to MDMA, I couldn’t see the effects lasting longer than 3 to 6 hours.”

Integra felt nauseous. “So, what you’re implying is that we have a recreational drug laced with vampire DNA.”

“It would seem that way, yes. I can’t say for certain or to what extent since we haven’t seen the effects in person. I believe that the user would experience a euphoric high along with temporary vampiric abilities similar to what recipients of the Millennium chip were capable of. We would actually have to study a user to see what the long-term health effects would be,” Trevelyan explained.

“I see,” Integra wanted to vomit. “Thank you, doctor. Please let me know if you have any further developments. I believe that we’re going to have to move quickly or this is going to get out of hand. I’ll leave you to it.”

Integra made her way back to her office. Her head was swimming; along with the investigation, she had also contacted the Council to alert them of Alucard’s return. In hindsight, dropping the information on them at the tail end of an email probably wasn’t the best course of action, but she didn’t really want to stir up too much of a fuss. It backfired spectacularly, and she was now buried under a mountain of emails and voicemails demanding an in-person meeting to discuss the matter further. She was deep in thought and almost ran right in to McCrory in the corridor.

“Oh, apologies, Sir Integra. I was just about to come to see you to inquire about your lunch,” McCrory said with a somewhat dramatic bow.

Integra shook herself out of her reverie to notice McCrory. He was a little over-the-top with the formalities, but it was kind of charming in a goofy way. She had a suspicion that he must have watched a lot of period dramas and had got the silly notion that this was proper butler etiquette.

“Sorry about that, McCrory. Yes, please have a light lunch sent to my office. Tell Mrs. Conner that a soup and salad will suffice,” Integra said and watched McCrory bow again and make his way down to the kitchens to speak with the cook.

She finally reached her office and sat behind her desk, looking out the window to see it chucking down with rain. It was mid-November, and she absent-mindedly found herself wishing for a bit of snow. If it was going to be so dreadfully cold, they should at least get something nice to look at instead of the bleak, frigid rain.

“You know,” a deep voice drawled, “I always liked these winter rain showers. It’s a bit darker during the day, and it makes everything seem a bit more intimate, no?”

Integra nearly leapt three feet in the air at his voice. “Christ, Alucard! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Integra spun around in her chair to see the bastard in question lazily reclined in the chair across from her desk, dressed in his usual attire minus his hat and glasses. He looked much better rested than the last time she saw him. His eyes still looked tired, but he looked healthier overall. He’d been resting for nearly two weeks now, and she was wondering when he would reappear. She had an irrational fear that he would just drift away again.

“So jumpy these days, my master,” he said, smiling wider. “You used to be able to sense my aura before I ever presented myself in the room.”

“Well, you’ve been gone for so long, I must have become rusty,” she jabbed back at him. “Seras enters rooms like an actual normal person and announces her arrival.”

Alucard hummed to himself and observed Integra. Yes, it seemed that she was still quite sore at him. To be honest, he felt as if he could have slept for at least another week, but he wanted to see her. He had missed her, missed this – the teasing and the bickering. It felt familiar, almost normal. Or whatever passed for normal around here.

“It sounds like you and the police girl are as thick as thieves these days. Tell me, was she good company while I was away?” He asked innocently enough. _Do you prefer her over me, now?_

Integra felt her heart finally coming to a normal rate after he initially startled her. Well, an almost normal rate. It was slightly racing just at the sight of him. She still was having a hard time believing that he was really home. At the mention of Seras, she smiled softly. “Seras has been incredibly helpful this past decade. I couldn’t have gotten Hellsing operational again without her. She’s really come out of her shell and stepped up to take initiative. You should be proud of her, Alucard.”

“I truly am proud, master,” he said it without sarcasm. “She protected you well. That was all I could hope for. Though, it seems that some injuries may have been unavoidable,” he lifted a gloved hand and tapped the area beneath his left eye.

Integra felt her throat tighten at the hint of protectiveness in his voice. Her hand rose to the patch covering her missing eye. She swallowed before continuing, “Yes, that little cretin major had a shit aim, thankfully. It took quite a while to get used to, though. My depth perception is terrible. Having to relearn how to shoot was a pain in the ass. That, and it’s completely hideous.”

He was kneeling in the floor beside her chair before she could blink. He took her hands into his, staring into her good eye. “You could _never_ ,” he kissed the back of her hands, “…ever be hideous, my Integra. That injury is a testament to your strength, your resolve. My Countess, you are like a force of nature – powerful, devastating, and irrefutably beautiful to behold.” His burning eyes were so full of adoration and longing. Her chest clenched painfully at the display.

“You always had a way with words, Count,” she murmured. She leaned forward and placed a feather-soft, chaste kiss to his forehead. He practically purred under her lips.

A knock at the door snapped them out of their exchange. Alucard reluctantly released her hands and returned to his seat.

“Come in,” Integra steadied her voice, trying to temper the emotions that were simmering under the surface. She watched McCrory enter the room with a tray of food. “Ah, McCrory, I believe you need a proper introduction. This is Hellsing’s original vampire agent, Alucard. Alucard, this is our butler and head of household staff, Mr. Louis McCrory.”

McCrory suddenly stopped in his tracks as his eyes locked with the vampire sitting in the chair. Alucard turned to him with a smile full of teeth. So, so many teeth.

“Hello, Mr. McCrory,” Alucard said smoothly with a sinister grin. “I’m pleased to meet you under more hospitable circumstances.”

Integra raised an eyebrow. “When did you meet him? You’ve been asleep for almost two weeks.” She heard the silverware on the food tray begin to rattle under McCrory’s shaky grasp. Turning to Alucard, she asked, “What did you do this time?”

“ _Me?_ Why, I was simply minding my own business, sleeping in my coffin like you ordered, when this fellow came into my chamber shining lights and making all sorts of racket. I simply requested that he leave me to my rest.” Alucard glanced back at McCrory as if daring him to refute his account of the event.

McCrory straightened his spine and stiffly walked to the desk where he sat the tray down. “A simple misunderstanding, my lady. Nothing to worry about, I assure you. If there’s nothing else I can get for you, I shall leave you to your meal.” McCrory did not make direct eye contact with the vampire and was eager to get out of the room as soon as possible. “Mr. Alucard, it is good to meet you formally.” He offered a small bow in Alucard’s general direction.

Integra sniffed. She clearly wasn’t buying it, but decided to keep her mouth shut. Poor McCrory looked as if he was going to pass out, which to be fair, was most normal people’s reaction when meeting Alucard for the first time. And she knew first hand how grumpy her vampire could be when he was tired. She was positive that their first meeting was less than pleasant.

“Very well. That will be all, McCrory. You are dismissed,” Integra told the relieved butler. He made a quick exit with as much dignity as he could muster. She turned back to Alucard. “You be nice to that man, Alucard. He’s been a decent butler and he’s quite likable once you get to know him,” she chastised him. “It’s hard to find good help these days, and I don’t need you scaring him off.”

Alucard barked out a laugh. “Really? That man is supposed to take the place of the mighty Angel of Death? He was practically wetting himself just now. He seems nothing more than a spineless twit. Is that really the best man you could find?”

“Hush, you. You know as well as I do that nobody could replace Walter,” Integra internally winced at her former butler’s mention. She had come to terms that she was allowed to miss the man and father figure that he once was and separate him from the traitor he became. “I hired a butler to actually attend to duties relevant to the role. Walter did everything around this place, and I couldn’t expect to find anyone that could measure up to his mettle. Besides, with Hellsing falling into a more of a consultation role, we don’t need someone of Walter’s caliber to keep this place afloat.”

“Consultation? What exactly does that entail?” Alucard asked with curiosity.

“After the war, the only thing that was really left standing of Hellsing was a couple of Wild Geese, Seras and myself. Ghouls and handfuls of chipped vampires were still running rampant throughout the country, and we couldn’t handle it all on our own. We partnered with the military in order to develop a special branch, sort of like a ‘Freak Squad’, more or less,” Integra explained. “There’s no place for a family-run organization like Hellsing to operate in this day and age. It was time that the government stepped up and took on the responsibility. They have more resources, funding, men – you name it. They still consult with us, and we do take on more specialized or sensitive cases. However, once I leave this world, Hellsing will be no more. I’ll be the last.”

Alucard listened carefully. “I see. And where does that leave your resident vampires? Surely, you don’t expect me to sit around on my laurels when I am so used to getting to rip apart enemies once or twice a week? What on earth have you had Seras doing?” He did not like being bored. He tended to get…destructive when he was bored, much like an unsupervised puppy. He decided to not breach the topic of her not continuing the family line. That was a conversation that certainly needed to happen, but he didn’t want to chance upsetting her too much so close to his return.

“Seras has been working hands-on with the new military recruits. Running drills, developing training courses. She’s very much a people person, and has taken to the job well. As for you,” Integra gave him a pointed look, “aren’t you tired of all the destruction? Were you not satisfied with a decade of death and killing?” She didn’t give him an opportunity to answer because she already knew the answer to that question. “I’m sure I can find a way to keep you busy. If nothing else, I’ll send you along with Seras so the trainees can use you for target practice. And we do actually have a case that we’re working at the moment. You won’t be needed just yet, but we will have to see how it goes.”

Alucard absorbed the words with apprehension. He didn’t like the ambiguity of his future. He needed to be busy, needed to be useful. Because if he can’t be useful, what is he? Where will that leave him? The last time he wasn’t needed, he was locked away and left to rot in the dungeon, gathering dust. He squashed those thoughts for the time being. He’s done enough introspection while trapped inside his self-consciousness and didn’t want to get sucked into that existential black hole again.

Integra started to tuck in to her lunch as she let him mull over this information. She could see the gears turning in his head, and she knew that she was going to have to find a way to keep him preoccupied. He could get so moody when left to his own devices. He was likely thinking about how her father had locked him away whenever vampire activity dropped after World War II. Surely he knows that she could never do that to him.

“What about a consort?” he asked, plastering a neutral look on his face.

Integra sputtered on her soup. “E-excuse me?”

He kept the impartial tone. “What if I was your consort? That could keep me plenty busy. All of this work must leave you so tense. I assure you that I could thoroughly and completely _relieve_ you of all this stress.” His mask was cracking. The corners of his mouth twitched upward.

Integra wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Why you insolent little,” she mumbled as she felt the beginnings of a headache pulsing behind her eyes.

His eyes glittered with mischief. “I could tend to your every whim and need, my Countess. Anything you _craved_ , I would happily provide. Won’t you let me take care of you, _my master_? Command me, and I will make it so,” his voice was dripping with innuendo.

His teasing was drifting into territory that they so often ventured. He would taunt her and joke at first, but would then inevitably get himself worked up into a lustful frenzy, begging for her to give him an order – anything to relieve him of his pent up energy. It used to irritate and embarrass her, but it eventually made her feel unbelievably powerful. To have a formidable creature like him begging like a dog at her heels made her feel incredibly sensual and dominant. The last time they were in this position seemed so long ago, and she found herself appreciating the familiarity of it all. If this was the game he wanted to play, she could certainly play. He wasn’t the only one that missed this, after all.

Integra slowly reached across the desk to grasp his jaw with her hand, making sure to dig in her nails a bit. She heard him make a small whimper in his throat, which triggered the usual ache between her legs. Ah, yes, just like the good old days.

“You want me to give you a command, my servant? Is that it? Do you want me to order you around like a mere dog?” she asked, keeping her voice steely.

He felt a shiver roll through him. Her touch scalded his skin, stirring him. _Oh, yessss, I missed you so much, so terribly, my dear lovely Integra._ “Please, my master, I only want to serve you,” he quietly simpered.

She locked her eyes with him for a moment and tightened her grip on his face, leaving angry little crescents on his pale skin. “In that case,” She abruptly released him. “…be a dear and leave me to my lunch. Feel free to explore the renovated estate, but don’t bother or scare anybody.” She gave him the sweetest smile she could manage.

She almost felt bad seeing his face momentarily fall in disappointment, but she knew that he loved this part of the game the most – the denial. He was a masochist through and through. His sudden leer confirmed her thoughts, and she felt a warmth spread in in core.

“As you wish, my master. But just so you know,” he disappeared from the chair in front of her and reappeared behind her, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, “…the offer still stands. I would love to show you just how _devoted_ I truly am. I’m rather eager to get myself back in your good graces.” With that, he disappeared into the shadows.

Integra didn’t realize she was nearly breathless until he was gone. “Fucking hell,” she whispered, panting. Maybe he was ready to take their little game to the next level after all these years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, and thanks for reading Chapter 4! I hope you enjoyed it. 💕
> 
> In the next chapter, we get some sweet, sweet fluff.


	5. A Night Out, A Night In

_I don't need another friend_ _  
When most of them, I can barely keep up with them  
Perfectly able to hold my own hand  
But I still can't kiss my own neck_

_\- Wye Oak, Civilian_

Seras awoke to a common site: Captain Pip Bernadette hovering a couple of inches away from her face, whispering sweet nothings to rouse her from her sleep. It was sickeningly saccharine, and she absolutely adored it. This evening was no different.

“Mon chéri, the night is waiting for you to greet it with your beautiful face,” he playfully teased. He began to say something else, but it was muffled when Seras threw a pillow in his face. He wasn’t completely solid at the moment, so the pillow flew right through him and landed with dull thud at the end of her bed. During renovations, Seras had begged Integra to let her have a real bed again – promising to use her coffin when she really needed to. Thankfully, Integra relented.

“Evening Pip,” Seras yawned, stretching her arms.

“Tellement grossier,” Pip grumbled, rubbing at his nose where the pillow had passed through his face. “Perk up, girlie. The boss wants to see you and talk about an assignment.” He watched her face brighten. “Also, I think your master is finally up and moving around. I saw him skulking around the corridors earlier today.”

Seras was already getting dressed when she looked over her shoulder to respond to Pip. “Really? Oh, that’s good. Did he look okay? He seemed kind of off when he first came home.” She pulled on her uniform trousers and tucked them into her boots. She had upgraded her uniform to one without a skirt a few years ago, much to Pip’s and most of the male staff’s chagrin. She had originally thought the skimpy skirt uniform was her master’s doing just to embarrass her, but later found out it was Walter of all people that chose the scandalous outfit. The old man was apparently either a lecher or had a weird sense of humor. Go figure.

“How can you tell? He always looks off and slightly deranged,” Pip replied, enjoying the brief glimpses of Seras’s bare skin.

Seras finished buttoning her top and turned to him, “No, I mean he looked almost sick. I guess he was exhausted and starved, but still. It was just weird to see him look like that.”

“Well, he must be feeling better because I heard him pestering Integra earlier,” Pip said with a grin. He may have also eavesdropped a little. While he was still living, Pip always thought the relationship between the boss and big scary vampire was weird as hell and a little too intense to just be strictly professional. His assumptions were somewhat confirmed from what he gathered from their overheard conversation earlier.

Seras laughed. “That’s hardly surprising. He probably missed her a lot.” She felt a slight pang in her chest. She hopes he missed her, too. It wasn’t that she had any sort of romantic feelings towards her master. She really wasn’t sure what she felt about him whenever she had been freshly turned. There was certainly fear at times, but mostly admiration. She felt like a boat stranded in open water without him around. He had taught her so much about how to live her new un-life, in a sort of trial-by-fire manner, but he was a guide nonetheless. Integra, being a vampire expert, was helpful with her questions while he was away, but she couldn’t truly relate to all of Seras’s issues.

She walked over to Pip and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’ll go see what Sir Integra wants. Hopefully, it’s something exciting.”

When Seras walked in to the office, she was greeted with a bright smile from Integra. McCrory was serving Integra a fresh cup of tea and bowed in greeting.

“Good evening, Miss Victoria. May I get you some breakfast for your meeting?” he pleasantly asked.

“No thank you, Mr. McCrory. I’ll grab something afterwards,” she replied, sitting herself in a chair across from Integra’s desk. McCrory nodded and left the two women to their meeting.

“Seras, I hope you had a good rest. We finally have some work to do,” Integra sipped her tea, getting straight to business. “Detective Brady just emailed me the address of the club pop-up, and he received a tip that they think it may take place later tonight. I also met with Dr. Trevelyan earlier today to get an update on our Jane Doe and the pill discovered at the scene of one of the murders.”

Seras listened carefully as Integra explained Dr. Trevelyan’s findings. She could sense Integra’s unease at the potential of these supposed “drugs” that were circulating. “Master, do you think that whoever created this stuff could be someone that survived the Millennium battle?”

“I honestly don’t know, Seras. There were extensive clean up efforts post-war, and the hope was that all the research from the Millennium group was either destroyed or archived by the military.” Integra sat her tea down and stared into the cup. “But we simply can’t ignore that these pills are so similar to the chips that those bastards created. I want to know more about how these drugs are being distributed, where they came from, and what the intentions of the manufacturer are. And since we know where and when this club is going to take place, I want you to be our eyes and ears on the ground. You’ll be going undercover to observe the club, but I don’t want you to engage just yet. I need you to find out what exactly happens when someone takes them.”

“Understood, sir. I know you said not to engage, but what if I see something that merits a response? Aren’t people being found dead after these parties?” Seras asked.

“You’re correct. I’m going to defer to you in these circumstances. If you can intervene without blowing your cover, then by all means, save a life. However, your primary objective is reconnaissance. This isn’t our usual search and destroy mission,” Integra explained. “I believe it would be beneficial for you to take along Captain Bernadette on this mission as back up. Plus, two sets of eyes are better than one. He can canvas the area more thoroughly and less conspicuously.”

“What about master? Will he be coming with me, too?” Seras asked hopefully.

“I think it’s best if he sits this one out. He’s not exactly one for delicate and subtle work such as this,” replied Integra with a wry smile. “Since you’ll be taking Bernadette, it would be best if he stays here to watch over the estate.”

“That’s fair,” Seras conceded. “Didn’t you say this was taking place in Birmingham? Isn’t that a couple of hours away? I have to find something to wear! How will have I have time to make it?”

“Silly girl, you’re not taking the train. You know that we have a helicopter. Plus, sources say this club doesn’t start operating until at least midnight. From what we gather, it’s sort of a…goth club or possibly a fetish club. The source wasn’t very clear on that,” Integra said with a little blush. “Just find something black, and you’ll fit right in. You’ll also need some contact lenses to conceal your eye color.”

“Ooooooh, you should wear that halter dress with the boots,” Pip’s disembodied voice echoed throughout the room. “The boots that come up to your knees with the tall heels. Mon Dieu, you look so good in those.”

Seras looked like a tomato. “Pip, _hush_ ,” she urged. “Don’t say those things in front of master Integra.”

“Cut it out you two,” snapped Integra. “Seras, go get ready. You’ll be leaving in a few hours. Bernadette, pull your head out of your ass. I need you focused tonight.”

Seras gave a little salute and took her leave and Pip murmured an apology. _Honestly, it’s like having children,_ Integra thought to herself.

\---------

“I should have grabbed some stockings,” Seras grumbled. She was tugging at the bottom of her dress as she walked down the hall when she heard someone talking in the media room. She poked her head in the door and saw her master messing with one of the remotes while Pip was attempting to explain how it worked.

Pip looked up and gave her a wolf whistle. “Don’t you look like a dish this evening. I told you that dress was perfect.”

“What is this? Is Hellsing so hard up for funding that they are sending my poor fledgling out to work the streets for some quick cash?” Alucard was smirking at her from the couch.

“Master, nooooo! It’s for a mission. I’m going undercover,” Seras whined.

“As a cheap hooker?” he offered helpfully.

“Hey now, my girl would be a high-class escort. She’s top-quality,” Pip defended.

“You’re both awful,” Seras complained.

“I don’t pay you people to stand around here all night jabbering away like ninnies,” Integra entered the room with her arms crossed. She had been going to check on Seras when she heard their voices in the room.

“Boss, to be fair, you don’t pay us at all,” Pip protested. “Though, the paperwork and taxes you’d have to work out on paying deceased employees would be a nightmare, I guess.”

Alucard was chuckling quietly in the background while Integra just drug her hand down her face and groaned. _I don’t get paid enough for this,_ she thought to herself.

“That’s enough, Captain,” Integra used her no-nonsense voice, which made everyone in the room sit up a little straighter. “The helicopter is ready to go. Seras, please contact me immediately if you need any backup. The local police are on standby, but I also have a handful of Hellsing personnel already in place just in case.”

Pip joined Seras, drifting into shadows that absorbed into her body. Seras nodded. “Sir, yes sir! We’ll report back as soon as possible.” Seras left the room, and Integra couldn’t help but be impressed that the girl could walk so confidently in heels that high.

“Master, you should ask the police girl if you can borrow that outfit sometime,” Alucard said from his spot on the couch. “Though, I couldn’t help but notice that your attire has improved quite a lot since I left.”

Integra turned to him with her hands on her hips and asked, “And just what is that supposed to mean? I still wear suits just like I did ten years ago.” Granted, she even had to admit, the nineties were not very forgiving with women’s business wear.

“Yes, but these fit you so much better. Your assets are accentuated much more in what you’re wearing right now,” he complimented as his eyes slowly trailed down her body, his gaze lingering on her hips and chest.

She felt her cheeks burn. She wasn’t sure if it was attributed to her age or having quit smoking, but she had put on a little bit of weight since her early twenties. She noticed a year or two ago that her thighs and bum were getting thicker, and she remembered feeling a so self-conscious. Seras had attempted to comfort her at the time.

\-------

_“Master, it’s totally normal to gain a little weight when you get older! Plus, you’re not smoking all the time and actually eat like a normal person,” Seras tried to console Integra as she fretted over one of her old pairs of trousers not fitting anymore. “You’re getting a more womanly figure. You’re still gorgeous! Plus, you’re so much healthier since you quit smoking.”_

_“OH, the cheek you have,” Integra growled over her shoulder as she shuffled out of the trousers and kicked them to the corner with distain. “That’s easy for you to say, you brat, you still look nineteen. Your breasts will always be perky, your waist will always be trim, and you’ll never get wrinkles.” Integra, wearing only a shirt and some cotton knickers, stormed over to Seras who was sitting on the side of Integra’s bed. “Do you see these?!” Integra pointed to the small crow’s feet on the corner of her good eye. “Ten more years, and I’m going to start sagging all over. I’ll deflate like an old balloon.”_

_Seras frowned at her, “And you’ll still be very pretty, master. We’ll get you some of those serums and creams that are supposed to help with wrinkles. Not that there’s anything wrong with wrinkles!” Seras tried to back peddle when she saw Integra’s eyes flash._

_“Some men find voluptuous, more mature women very sexy, boss,” Pip’s voice echoed in the room._

_“GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, PIP!” both women screeched._

\--------

She eventually embraced her new body. After all, since when did she give a damn what anybody else thought about her looks? And yet, she couldn’t help but feel unnerved at the way her vampire was observing her at the moment, and she detested how much she cared about what he thought of her appearance.

“Fashion has improved a bit in the last decade, I suppose,” she muttered as she walked over to the couch and sat next to him. “What do you think of this new space? It was Seras’s idea,” she tried to divert the conversation to a different topic.

His eyebrows rose at that. “Really? I must thank her, in that case. I imagine I’ve missed out on a lot of good films in the past few years. I’ll have to play catch up,” he said, and turned to her with a piercing look. “Especially since you won’t let me go on any missions. I feel as if I’m being grounded like a misbehaving child. I’ll have to occupy myself somehow.”

She smiled ruefully. Oh, yes, she remembered his love of terrible action and horror movies. She’d lost count on how many times she tried to summon him for a mission to only find him cleaning his gun while glued to a television, laughing like a madman at some cheesy, low-budget scary movie. It did keep him out of trouble, at least.

“You’re not banned from missions, so don’t pout just yet,” she smiled at his petulant face. “We’re in the earlier stages of this case, that’s all. It’s just a simple recon job. You’d be bored with it, regardless.” She took the remote from him and flipped the channels until she found something that looked somewhat interesting.

“So why aren’t you out there with Seras? Shouldn’t you be on stand by or something?” Not that he was complaining. He was very much enjoying being so near to her in such a casual setting. He subtly scooted a little closer to her.

The movement didn’t go unnoticed. She leaned back into the couch cushions and pulled out her cell. “I am on standby. I’m just a phone call away. If there’s any trouble, I can get backup deployed in just moments.” She shifted a bit closer to him, letting her thigh brush against his, and showed him her cell phone. “See, mobile phones are much smaller now. They even have little computers in them.” She activated the touch screen and watched his face light up in wonder. She always thought it was amusing that an ancient being like him would have such a fascination with technology. “We’ll have to get you one, too. Either Seras or I can show you how to use it.” She pulled up a search engine and entered “Dracula” just to be funny, and watched as the search results popped up. She smiled gently as she observed him watching the screen, completely mesmerized.

“That’s incredible,” he said, his voice hushed. “Humans are such innovative creatures. Always creating something newer and better.” He chose that moment to wrap an arm around her shoulders, and her heart skipped a beat.

She hummed in agreement, putting the phone on the coffee table in front of them, making sure the volume was turned up so that she would hear it in case of an emergency. She hesitated for a just a second, but then decided to lean her head on his shoulder and focused on the television. His arm tightened around her slightly, and she felt as if her heart could burst. It felt so…so domestic. So utterly normal and mundane. It was lovely.

The TV droned on, showing some kind of drama film, but neither really paid much attention. Integra snuggled up closer to him as he took some of her hair and began to twirl it around his fingers, occasionally nuzzling his face into the crown of her head. _Yes, I could get quite used to this,_ she thought to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I hope you enjoyed chapter 5 and the little bits of fluff. I love writing PipxSeras cuteness almost as much as I enjoy AlucardxIntegra. 
> 
> Next chapter, things get a little spicy. Just a little bit, though. 😅 😉   
> Seras must deal with Pip's shenanigans, Alucard has some soft feelings, and Integra gets a bit of courage.


	6. Crane Your Neck

_‘Cause if you're dreaming about dying, then you're not really living darling._

_You've gotta be starving, you've gotta be starving for it._

_\- Lady Lamb, Crane Your Neck_

Seras was fidgeting with the hem of her ridiculously short dress in the corner of the crowded basement of a closed pub. Getting in to the secret pop-up club hadn’t been all that difficult. When she shyly came up to the “bouncer” at the back door in the alleyway, he took one look at her and nodded, opened the door, and smiled lasciviously at her as she walked past him. Once inside, she was confronted with loud EDM in a poorly lit room. She could see why the informant had believed it to be a fetish club. She watched people grinding and dancing on each other adorned with leather, pale makeup, and gratuitous piercings. Odd pieces of furniture had been hastily set up and small votive candles and black lights spread throughout the room gave very little illumination.

 _They aren’t very shy, huh?_ Pip whispered in her mind. Seras was trying not to stare at a couple that was quite literally dry humping each other on a tattered loveseat next to her. _Reminds me of going to Soho with the boys back in ’96. That was such a fun night. One of the guys caught the clap from some bird he shagged in a phone booth,_ Pip reminisced, laughing at the memory.

 _That’s so gross, Pip,_ Seras mentally chided him. She was aware of his many escapades back in the day. After taking him as a familiar, she had gained his memories, much to her remorse. To say Pip was promiscuous was a grievous understatement. _I need you to focus. We need to be on the look out for anything suspicious. Do you think you could take a look around? I’m going to get a drink and try to mingle._ She really didn’t want to talk to any of these people. It was clear what many of the patrons weren’t just here for a simple night of dancing and drinks with friends. And she really didn’t like how a lot of them were looking at her. She regretted not wearing any tights or stockings to make her not feel so exposed.

 _I’m on it, chérie. And hey, don’t worry,_ he added, sensing her distress, _you don’t have to take shit from any of these creeps. Put them in their place. And if you don’t, I certainly won’t mind doing it for you._ She weakly smiled, feeling a little reassured. She felt his aura drift from her and spread out in the room.

Seras made her way to a makeshift bar set up in the back of the room and ordered some red wine. She grimaced as she sipped – it was very cheap and tasted vaguely of rubbing alcohol. She watched the crowd of writhing bodies on the dance floor for a few minutes until her attention was drawn to a man that was leaning against the other end of the bar. He was currently enjoying the attentions of two very beautiful women that were giggling and giving him flirtatious touches. It was the women that gave Seras pause, though. Each of them had red eyes and sharp teeth. She didn’t immediately jump to conclusions – the people here were really committed to the goth aesthetic. It could very well be likely that they were wearing contacts and had false teeth just to get “the look.”

“Why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable?” One of the women whispered in the man’s ear. Seras used her vampiric hearing to listen in on the conversation. The other woman began to stroke the man’s thigh and added, “We promise we’ll take good care of you, dear. You did say you were in to this kind of thing, after all.”

The man didn’t need further encouragement. He slid a wad of cash on the counter and was led away by the women, a wide grin on his face.

 _Captain! Pip, I need you to follow those people!_ Seras mentally yelled. _The two tall goth chicks with the short guy in the purple neck tie!_

 _I see them,_ he quickly answered. _They’re heading for a door in the far left corner._

Seras quickly followed and watched as the trio slipped through the door. She gave them a little head start and went in shortly after them. She entered a small, dark hallway with several doors – one of them left slightly ajar at the very end. She could hear the sounds of moans and muffled screams behind some of the other doors.

 _They’re enjoying themselves it makes you feel any better,_ Pip offered. _It’s at least consensual._ The sound of what could only be leather hitting skin followed by a very pleased groan came from a door on her right.

Seras shuddered and snuck up to the open door at the end. Peering inside, she saw the man had sat down on a stool in the middle of a small, dingy room. Seras felt herself blush up to the tips of her hair. The man currently had the breast of one of the women in his mouth while the two women were passionately kissing each other.

 _That’s…that’s kind of hot,_ she heard Pip say, sounding a little too excited. Before Seras could tell him to stop being a pervert, one of the women pulled away and began loosening the man’s tie and unbuttoned the first couple of buttons on his shirt. The women began to kiss along his jawline and neck while the man breathed heavily.

“Are you ready, dear? We promise to be gentle,” one of the women said with a giggle.

The man looked a bit dazed, but nodded his head slowly. “Yes, p-please. And you said that maybe I could get some of that stuff, too? When you finish with me?”

One of the women began to tilt his head back. Alarm bells started sounding in Seras’s head. “Of course, darling,” she cooed. “Now just sit back and relax. Let’s have some fun.” Seras saw teeth flash and the woman sank her fangs deep into the man’s neck. _Well, I guess that confirms their authenticity,_ Seras thought absently. The other woman laughed and proceeded to bite down into the man’s shoulder on his other side. He let out a gasp and an elated moan. He thrashed and squirmed in the women’s grasp, letting out little breathy whimpers. This continued for several moments.

“Ladies, ah…I think that’s enough,” he began after a while. “I think that’s all I can…I can take.” He was struggling to stay conscious at that point. He weakly tried to grab the shoulder of the woman on his left, but she simply grasped his wrist and pinned it back to his side. “Seriously, I s-said stop…please stop,” he gasped more painfully this time.

Seras was conflicted – was she really going to sit here and watch this man die? She didn’t want to blow her cover, but she really didn’t want to just watch and do nothing, either. She took a steadying breath, and pulled the door open.

“Oh! Oh dear! I think I have the wrong room!” Seras tried to act mortified, hoping that she appeared genuinely surprised. With her entry, the two women both snapped up from the man’s gasping body, their mouths bloody. “I thought this was the loo. I’m so sorry! Is…is he okay? Sir, do you need a doctor?” Seras asked, seemingly just a concerned stranger.

The woman on the left pulled her top back up, tucking her exposed chest away and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “Oh, sweet girl, he’s just fine. We were just having a bit of fun. Haven’t you ever heard of blood play before?” She asked with a sneer. Meanwhile, the man straightened up in his seat, catching his breath and clutching at his throat. He took one glance at Seras and got up from the stool and pushed past her to hurry out the door. The women looked disappointed as they watched their meal get away.

“I don’t think…I’ve ever heard of that b-before,” Seras said. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, how…how do you drink all that blood without getting sick?” She was going to play dumb and see where that got her.

“Why do you ask, little one?” the woman on the right sauntered up to Seras with a glint in her red eyes. “Do you want to play with us? You’re just as cute as a button. I bet you taste delicious.”

Seras could feel Pip about to say something utterly filthy and cut him off, _Don’t. Just shut up._ Seras played along and tried to look coy, shuffling her feet and looking up at the woman innocently. “Um, maybe? C-could you show me how to do it?”

 _You’re killing me right now,_ Pip whined. _Bon Dieu, I’m going to die twice._

Seras ignored him. The woman on the left pulled something out of her pocket and walked over to Seras. “You know, I wouldn’t mind for you to nibble on me, blondie. Would you like that?” The woman opened her palm and showed Seras a little pill with a bat on it.

 _Bingo!_ Seras smiled. “I don’t know, maybe you could tell me how it works? S-sorry for being so nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

 _Fucking hell, you’ll at least let me watch, right?! I’m not too proud to beg,_ Pip sounded like he was in pain.

The women smiled at each other and walked over to a beat up sofa on the other side of the small room. One of them patted the cushion between them and said, “Why don’t you join us and we’ll talk you through it, sweetheart. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do, okay? No reason to be so nervous.”

Seras walked over to the couch as she heard Pip groan loudly in her head.

\------

Integra fought off a yawn and felt her eyes growing heavier as the night wore on. Alucard had pestered her about the mission that Seras and Bernadette were on, and she had filled him in on the cases thus far. She suspected that he was going to plot a way to get himself involved somehow. Afterward, she had become invested in the movie that she had randomly found earlier in the evening, and was trying to pay attention. She knew she needed to stay awake just in case there was a call from Seras, but she was struggling. It didn’t help that Alucard had thrown a blanket over her, either. She was now wrapped up in a snuggly little ball next to him on the sofa, half laying on his chest. She felt one of his hands rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“A nap won’t kill you, you know,” Alucard told her in a quiet voice. “I’ll wake you up if you’re needed. You’re clearly exhausted and could use the rest.” He felt her head nod on his chest a bit, and after about ten minutes, her heard her soft snores.

He was delighting in having her so close to him after being deprived of her presence for so long. It seemed that time had made her more open to his touch. In the last year or so before he had disappeared, he noticed that she had made it a point to not initiate physical interactions with him. He had a nagging feeling that had come about due to Walter’s urging. He knew that the butler had never liked seeing Integra and him so close to one another. Walter had turned a blind eye to their attachment when she was younger, but once she was around eighteen, Walter appeared to always be lurking around, seemingly to deter them being alone together. Looking back, he wasn’t sure if it was due to Walter’s fatherly concern for Integra’s wellbeing or if he was trying to drive a wedge between them for more nefarious reasons.

When she was in her adolescence, she didn’t seem to mind having him near. In fact, there had been many a night in the library spent with her not being able to sleep – he’d sit next to her much like this and read to her. She had kicked up a fuss, arguing that she wasn’t a little girl that needed bedtime stories, but she fell asleep to the sound of his voice most nights all the same. He smiled at the memory. To think that he would feel such fondness for a Hellsing would have been such a ridiculous notion to him years ago. Integra wasn’t like her ancestors, though. No, she was made of something else entirely.

He had hated Abraham with a burning passion. He was his nemesis; he took everything from him, and bound him to servitude. Abraham tortured him, prodded and flayed him without remorse. He viewed Alucard as a thing to be abhorred, a thing to be studied – a lesson to be learned and made example of. Towards the end of Abraham’s life, they had developed a somewhat less tumultuous relationship. Alucard thought that perhaps it was something akin to acceptance of subjugation on his part. He may have even grown to respect the man that had bested him in a twisted sense.

Then, there was Arthur. Alucard didn’t necessarily hate Arthur Hellsing. Arthur had inherited Alucard and was simply at a loss with what to do with the creature. He was a scholar much like his father before him, and did do a few studies and experiments on him, but nothing near as cruel as Abraham’s twisted trials. Whenever the Second World War came about, clever Arthur saw the opportunity to use him as a weapon. And that’s what he saw Alucard as: a powerful tool to be wielded, a thing to be used for the greater good. Alucard at least felt purpose when Arthur was his master. He wasn’t a mere sniveling prisoner under Arthur; he was tool of justice in a macabre way. After the war had ended and there wasn’t a use for the tool anymore, Arthur sealed him in the dungeon. He could understand Arthur’s reasoning at least: when a powerful weapon isn’t in use, it should be safely locked away.

But then came along his Integra. Integra Hellsing did not look at Alucard with fear or hate. No, the little girl he met in the dungeon that day all those years ago had the blazing eyes of a warrior, not unlike Abraham’s, and she spoke to him with the authority of a being far more brave and older than her years. Yes, she did wield him as a weapon, the Hellsing “trump card”, but there was a distinct difference between her and her predecessors: she treated him with respect. She spoke with him almost as a peer, like an actual sentient being. The first time she let him go on a mission and he came home a bloodied mess, the little girl ran up to him and asked if he was okay. He was completely floored. _A Hellsing asking about my wellbeing? A Hellsing that cared? What nonsense was this? Had Arthur taught this girl nothing?_ At the time, he had laughed at her absurd question, and she got angry and swatted at him like an angry kitten. He was admittedly putty in her hands after that instance.

As she got older, he became a confidant. She would consult with him, ask his opinion on matters, and complain to him about her troubles. She also began to blush at him whenever he’d make a subtle praise at her successes or not so subtle admiration of her growing beauty. He watched her blossom into a stunning, formidable woman that he would fall over himself to serve. He had been bound by the seals to serve the Hellsing line of course, but he had never bothered, never cared, as much about his duty or his master as much as he had with Integra. She was a leader that a person could rally behind and proudly march straight to the gates of hell itself under her command. And that woman, that warrior, that indestructible spirit, was the one that looked at him and believed **him** to be her protector. She knew exactly _what_ he was, _who_ he was, and still cared for him – she still wanted him near her.

And so he would thoroughly indulge himself with her closeness tonight. He heard her stir and yawn and he began to stroke her hair. It was enough to wake her again and she sat up, still leaning on him.

“Any messages?” she asked, her voice gravelly from her nap.

“I didn’t hear the phone and it didn’t it light up, so I’d say no,” he answered her quietly. He watched her as she rubbed the sleep from her good eye and adjusted her eye patch where it had shifted slightly in her sleep.

She looked over to a clock on the wall and frowned. “They’ve been gone for several hours now. I hope everything’s all right.” She looked back to the TV and felt a jolt of embarrassment and her face reddened. “What the hell have you been watching?”

He looked up and saw that a new movie had come on, and it was apparently some erotic foreign film. Two lovers were entangled in sheets, moaning and gasping while fucking each other senseless.

“Huh, I didn’t even notice,” he responded innocently. He really didn’t, to be fair. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t been paying attention to the television for a while now.

She stiffened next to him. “Sure you didn’t, you heathen,” she rebuked. She suddenly felt very aware of how she was pressed so close to him. She had spent years trying to put up clear boundaries concerning them, ever since his teasing became lewd when she came of age. The boundaries, however, always became blurred with them. And after ten years of missing him, pining for him, and contemplating what there could have been between them, she wasn’t sure if she wanted them anymore either.

“What’s got you so flustered, master? Lovemaking can be beautiful and is perfectly natural,” he goaded her. “In fact, I’m not sure why you’re still a virgin after all these years. One would have thought that an attractive, powerful woman such as yourself would have caught the eye of someone by now.” He had to admit that he was curious. He was beyond relieved that she hadn’t found someone while he was gone, seeing as the very thought of her being in someone else’s arms made him physically ill. But she didn’t exactly belong to him, so he had no say or rights to her or her affections.

She gave him a withering look. “Oh yes, because the dating scene in London has been so lively recently,” she scoffed. “Like I have time to gallivant around and go on trivial dates. I never had the desire to pursue any sort of relationship, anyway.”

“And why is that?” He asked her while scrutinizing her face intensely. He watched her face morph from irritation to something softer. Resignation, perhaps?

“You know why, you idiot,” she said quietly, without any real venom to her words. She was tired of pretending. Tired of the walls, tired of pushing him away. She didn’t realize how much he meant to her until he was gone, and it all seemed so pointless to deny it anymore. Her gaze darted from his eyes to his lips. For all the time they’ve known each other, for all the teasing and tension, even their more “intense” encounters were still chaste. The caressing of hands, a tame embrace, and a brush of lips on the cheek or forehead were the most that she had ever allowed them to engage.

He watched her with barely contained anticipation. The way she was looking at him made him burn, but he didn’t dare make a move. If things were going to progress, it was going to be on her terms. “Why don’t you enlighten me, Integra?” His voice was hushed as if he was afraid of scaring her away.

A sudden blaring of a cell phone ring startled the two on the couch, making them both jump at the intrusion. Alucard gritted his teeth and glared at the phone on the table with distain.

Integra snatched the phone from the coffee table. “What is it?” She answered, her voice came out in a bark and sounded much more harsh than she intended. She felt like a bowstring pulled too tight.

“Master Integra? It’s Seras. The mission was a success! We got some great intel and we’ll be able to debrief whenever we return.”

“Seras almost had a threesome!” Integra thought she heard Captain Bernadette’s excited voice nearly inaudible in the background.

“Will you shut your trap? You’ve been insufferable tonight!” Seras’s voice sounded faint as if she had turned away from the speaker to throttle Pip. Integra heard Seras’s voice a bit clearer when she said, “We should be back within an hour or so. See you soon!” The draculina ended the call abruptly. Integra assumed it was so she could yell at Bernadette some more.

“Sounds like they had fun,” Alucard chuckled next to her, evidently overhearing the conversation.

Integra sighed. Her heart rate was slowing down and she was slowly regaining her composure. “I’m sure. Poor Bernadette may not agree after Seras is finished with him, from the sound of it.”

“He may be agreeable to that sort of thing. A lot of men are,” he said with a lecherous grin. He was most certainly among that group, Integra was sure.

She hummed in response instead of antagonizing him further. “Come along, let’s get to my office and get ready for their return. I’m anxious to find out what they learned.”

Integra swallowed a lump in her throat as she made her way to her office, feeling the weight of his looming figure behind her. Whatever barriers she had built to distance herself from her feelings for him were beginning to crack and crumble all around her. And she had just taken a hefty swing at the walls with a sledgehammer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this one. Writing Pip is always a good time. 😁  
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Next chapter, Seras explains her findings and next steps are planned for the investigation.  
> Also, we'll have some late night confessions and softness.💕


	7. Redamancy

_I couldn't utter my love when it counted_ _  
Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now  
I couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted  
Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now_

_\- Hozier, Shrike_

If Pip Bernadette were a betting man, he’d put a hefty sum of cash down on the chances something interesting had happened between Integra and Big Red while they were gone. He and Seras had returned to the estate and had come to Integra’s office to debrief on the mission, and the atmosphere in the room was a little off to say the least. The intensity of the looks that the elder vampire had been giving Integra from his spot in a nearby corner was not at all subtle. Integra, of course, looked to be her prim and proper self, not a hair out of place.

Seras didn’t really seem to be any the wiser. She was eager to deliver her report and was oblivious to the weird energy in the room. She had situated herself in one of the chairs in front of the desk while Pip hovered near her shoulder. She gave Integra a rundown of the events leading up to the encounter between the two mysterious women they had found in the club.

“So, the ladies were saying that these pills starting showing up about six months ago, which checks out with the timeline we’ve seen with the murders. From what I understand, the “introductory” dose is normally free – usually offered after one of the…umm…sessions that they have with someone. These things are apparently really addictive, too. While I was sitting with them, one of the women started getting kind of agitated and sick looking and took another pill. It seemed to kick in pretty fast. Whenever I asked what it felt like, they told me that it was like...kind of like flying? And you feel really strong. Then you get the extreme thirst – a craving for blood. They also said that it gets you…really, erm…turned on.” Seras finished with little flush. “But evidently the withdrawals are awful. Taking in blood helps with the symptoms, apparently.”

Integra was leaning forward on her steepled fingers on the desk, nodding along. “And where are they getting them?”

Seras perked up at that question. “These two ladies were apparently familiar with a dealer. They called themselves “Vamp Girls” and they apparently get a bunch of these things to push at the clubs and universities from their guy. They either find people online in forums or whatever, and ask them to meet them at these clubs, or they just hit on people once they’re on site.”

“There are people that actually want to get bitten and drained by vampires?” Integra asked, sounding skeptical.

“It’s apparently…kind of a fetish thing? And really popular.” Seras answered, sounding uncomfortable.

“Tell her what those women called it,” Pip said with a barely-contained grin.

“Ugh, Pip…” Seras began. She hung her head and muttered something inaudible.

“Come again?” Integra asked, curious. “This could be relevant information, Seras. Especially if we want our online informants to know what to search for.”

Seras heaved a sigh, still looking at her feet. “They called it fang-banging.”

A roar of laughter echoed in the room from Pip next to her and from Alucard in the corner.

“Oh good lord,” Integra said with a groan. She made a note on her notepad regardless. “ _Anyway_ ,” she said, using a louder voice to signal to the two immature men in the room to hush, “were you able to find out anything in-depth about the dealer?”

Seras shook her head. “No, not really. They just said it was some guy that gives them the stuff. They met him at some party near the university that they both go to. The girls give the person they meet up with a pill or two after they feed off of them a bit, and then they usually come back as a repeat customer. Well, that’s assuming that the person doesn’t get completely drained. They mentioned that sometimes the sessions get a little out of hand if you’re too hyped up. Of course, you have to pay cash for any pills you get after that first one. If you’re one of the Vamp Girls, you apparently get a deep discount. They offered me a job as one, actually. I apparently have a more _approachable_ look than a lot of the other girls.” Seras finished, rolling her eyes.

Integra sat there for a moment, processing the information. “And what did you say to that offer?”

“I told them I’d think about it. I wanted to see what you thought our next move should be before I committed to anything,” Seras explained. “I played it off like I was really interested and asked for their numbers so I could contact them. Pretty sure whatever they’re using is a burner phone, but it’s a start.”

Integra hummed at this and was seemingly lost in thought for a while. “Good job, Seras. This is very useful information, but I’m afraid we’re going to need a little more. I want you to wait a couple of days and contact these women and accept their job offer. With any luck, you’ll get introduced to one of these dealers and maybe we can get a lead on a where they are keeping these things or making them. You are dismissed for the night, but I still want a full written report on your mission on my desk within 48 hours. I’ll contact detective Brady tomorrow to provide him with an update.”

Seras smiled, “Thanks, master. I can’t wait to get out of these clothes – I feel so trashy.”

“Police girl, however did you get away from those women without having to engage in anything salacious? From your story, it sounded like they were eager to play,” Alucard asked deviously. “The Frenchman made it sound like things got interesting there for a moment.”

“She told them she’d take a rain check,” Pip said with a smirk.

“Yeah, I kind of pushed them off when I offered to follow up on the job. Plus, the longer we sat there, they were kind of getting antsy and I wanted to get out of there. They were starting to look at me like I was a pork chop.” Seras said with a shudder. “If that’s all for tonight, sir, I’m going to shower. I feel really gross.”

Integra nodded. “You’re fine, Seras, you may go. Captain Bernadette, I’d like you to resume your post for the evening. Usual procedures, please.”

With that, Pip detached himself from Seras and disappeared in to a nearby wall. Shortly after, the entirety of the mansion seemed to ripple, signaling the Captain’s full inhabitance of the estate walls. Seras swiftly left, wanting to steam in the shower to cleanse herself of all the filth that she encountered that evening.

Alucard poked one of the walls nearest to him and the wall responded with a grunt. “Hands to yourself, Red!” Pip’s voice reverberated around the room.

“Impressive. I’ll have to ask Seras how she thought of something so clever.” Alucard pondered out loud.

Integra stood and stretched, her back popping. “You need to give her more credit, Alucard. She’s rather capable and competent all on her own. It wouldn’t hurt for you to tell her that, either.” She walked by him and continued down the hall to the staircase.

He trailed behind her. “I fully intend to, but I haven’t had the chance to catch up with her just yet. I wanted to spend time with you first, you know,” he added innocently.

Integra smiled at his response as she climbed the stairs and walked to her bedroom. Once she opened her bedroom door, she turned to him. “And just where do you think you’re going? I don’t believe I offered an invitation to my room.” Her voice sounded weary, but there was a ghost of a grin at the corners of her mouth.

“Oh? And here I was hoping that I could give you some company for the evening,” he said coyly. “Or at least let me tuck you in for old times sake. Forgive me for feeling nostalgic, my master.” He wasn’t ready to leave her side just yet, but he knew he was pushing his luck. She very rarely let him in to her room, and even then, he usually only showed up because he could sense her distress due to a nightmare. Once in a blessed blue moon, she would let him stay in there for no reason at all.

She chuckled at his answer and entered her room and left the door open as a silent request. He eagerly entered and closed the door behind him, but before he could approach her further, she laid a hand on his chest.

“I am completely knackered, Alucard. I don’t mind you hanging around, but I really just want to sleep. So none of your nonsense tonight,” she warned him.

“Of course, master,” he said with an understanding nod. “I’m content with whatever you’ll have of me.”

She watched as he obediently sat himself at the foot of her bed as she walked over to her wardrobe to find some suitable pajamas.

“I wouldn’t mind if you’d wear my shirt again. Seeing you draped in my clothing was incredibly stirring, Integra,” he purred. “Why don’t you indulge this poor beast of yours?”

She tossed him an incredulous look over her shoulder. “Oh, I think I indulge you quite enough, Alucard.” She picked up the shirt against her better judgment. “You’re lucky that it’s very comfortable sleepwear.” She made her way to her on-suite bathroom to ready herself for bed.

She flipped the light switch to her spacious bathroom and began to disrobe. She was physically and mentally exhausted from her ridiculously long day, and she felt as if she could collapse right there in the floor. Integra slipped on the shirt and relished in the way the cool fabric felt against her skin. Sighing, she looked at her weary expression in the mirror and grimaced at the dark circles under her eyes. _So, so tired._ Somewhere in the back of her mind, an alarm bell was screeching at her for allowing her vampire in her room tonight. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t slept with her before, in the most literal sense of the word. He’d spent many nights stretched out next to her whenever she’d have night terrors or had insomnia. But tonight felt different. She knew that they were on the edge of something – something that wasn’t fully present or at least fully acknowledged between them ten years ago. She had been prepared earlier in the night to confess her feelings for him. The weight of her want was crushing her, and she was **_just so goddamned tired_** of it all. Maybe tonight _needed_ to be different. She brushed her teeth and steeled her resolve before she left the bathroom.

She was greeted with Alucard piled up in the middle of her bed like he owned the place. He’d removed this red coat, suit jacket, cravat, and boots and was looking at her with an intensity that made her cheeks tint pink.

He gave her a low, appreciative whistle while his eyes took in her image. “My, my…you’re most certainly indulging me this evening, my lady.” His smile was downright sinful.

She walked to the bed and joined him, giving him an elbow in the ribs to move him over so that she could get comfortable on her side of the bed. She knew that she was still blushing, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was getting her worked up. “Don’t be getting any ideas, Count,” she griped at him.

His grin spread to nearly split his face in two. He leaned forward to get within inches of her face and whispered, “I have something in mind that doesn’t require talking, if that’s what you prefer, Countess. You could just lay back and enjoy yourself while I tend to you,” he offered.

She stuck her hand to his forehead and shoved him back down into the pillows. He fell back dramatically and looked at her like a kicked puppy. “No fooling around, Alucard. If you can’t behave, I’ll send you away.” He huffed a bit, but acquiesced. She placed her glasses on the bedside table then curled herself against him with her head on his shoulder. She felt an arm wrap around her to hold her in place and her heart swelled at the tenderness.

“You never did tell me why you have my shirt,” he spoke into the crown of her head and she felt his breath stir her hair.

She yawned and nestled her face further into his chest. “I told you I missed you. I just wanted something that reminded me of you.” She felt his chest rumble with a hum at her answer. She could just imagine the preening grin on his face and she half-heartedly wanted to slap him, the smug bastard. His hand went to her hair to run his fingers through it like he had earlier in the night and she felt herself relax.

“I think you’re the only one that would ever find my presence comforting, master.” The sound and vibration of his deep voice filtered through his chest was incredibly soothing to her. She didn’t offer any response to him for a while and simply focused on her own breathing.

“It’s you, you know,” she slurred, sounding almost drunk in her drowsiness.

“Hmm? What’s that?” his voice rumbled in her ear.

“You asked earlier why I never dated. I didn’t want to. I have you. I only want you.” She let the words fall out of her mouth like they weighed nothing. They were words she didn’t want to keep to herself anymore, and she found them coming out much easier than she thought possible. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t facing those piercing eyes of his. Maybe it was the exhaustion. Either way, they tumbled out recklessly, and she felt lighter than she had in years. She felt so at ease, she couldn’t hold her eyes open any longer. Not when he was holding her so tight. Not when this was all she wanted for so long. Not when she hasn’t felt so peaceful in her own bed after so many lonely nights.

Alucard’s hand in her hair froze in place at her confession. He wanted to say something – anything to her. His addled brain scrambled to cobble together a coherent thought. Every response he could think of felt so small, so inconsequential to what she had just said. While he silently panicked, he heard her breathing slow, indicating her drift in to slumber. He stayed frozen, holding her tightly to his chest – almost as if she’s slip away if he let his grip falter.

 _I love you, I love you, I love you so terribly, so wretchedly, my dear Integra. So much, so much, far too much to say it properly. Putting it into words would cheapen its meaning._ His mind was a flurry of thought. Her words bounced around in his head _– I have you. I only want you_. Integra did indeed have him, fully and completely – frightfully so. This woman never ceased to surprise him. Or maybe he just didn’t understand women in general. His track record was abysmal, after all. He found himself wanting to shake her awake and ask her if she’d lost her mind – was she absolutely sure of herself. Or perhaps he would simply drown her in praises and kiss her breathless until dawn greeted them.

He looked down to the woman snoring lightly on his chest. She appeared completely content in his arms. Like he wasn’t the monster under the bed. Like he wasn’t the very thing she should be having nightmares about. She had a bad habit of making him believe that he could be more than just a monster sometimes. Such lofty expectations for a lowly thing such as him. And while he had always suspected that she felt something more for him, to hear her say it so explicitly felt like a dream. He sighed.

“You lovesick idiot,” he muttered aloud to the quiet room. _Ah, well. It can’t be helped, can it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly early post this week. I hope y'all enjoyed this nearly tooth-rotting chapter. 💕 I did say I was in this for the fluff, and I am leaning in to that HARD. 
> 
> Stay tuned for our next chapter, where Integra has to deal with the repercussions of her actions. Mild spice ensues. 😈
> 
> BTW, all of your kind comments and kudos are giving me LIFE. I'm definitely writing this for me, but it's a huge bonus to know that others are enjoying it as well.


	8. Fever Pitch

_The way she shows me I'm hers and she is mine_  
Open hand or closed fist would be fine  
Blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine 

_\- Hozier, Cherry Wine_

McCrory made his way to Sir Integra’s bedroom with a cup of tea and the day’s newspaper in hand. Seras had found him earlier that morning and informed him that he should let Integra sleep in today due to the late night that she had. It was nearly 10:30, and he knew she didn’t like to sleep past 11 or she would feel groggy for the rest of the day. He knocked on her door twice and entered the darkened room.

“Good morning, my lady. I hope you slept well.” He sat down the teacup and newspaper on a small desk she kept in the corner and walked to the windows to open the curtains. He drew them open, letting the sunlight filter into the room. He was about to ask Integra if she’d like her usual for breakfast when the heard the curtains snap shut again, once again shrouding the room in darkness.

“What the bloody hell?” He mumbled, and went to pull the curtains open again when he heard a faint hissing sound coming from the bed. His stomach plummeted when he saw familiar red eyes glowing back at him.

“What is it with you and not letting people sleep?” A raspy baritone voice growled.

McCrory then heard someone else stirring in the bed, and he felt his face pale. _Oh dear lord, what have I walked in on?_ He internally panicked.

Integra was abruptly ripped from her sleep by the noise, and she rubbed at her eye while yawning. “Who in the blazes are you talking to?”

McCrory wanted to melt into the floor and disappear. His eyes were adjusting to the darkness and he could make out the two bodies on the bed. He reluctantly cleared his throat, wanting to be as tactful as he could manage given the situation. “Err…my lady, I came to wake you as I usually do. My apologies, I didn’t realize you had…ah…company.”

At the sound of McCrory’s voice, Integra sat up and clutched the sheets, feeling absolute mortification. She was so exhausted last night that she had completely forgotten about McCrory’s usual “wake-up calls”.

“In that case, why don’t you leave the lady to her company? I’m sure that you…” Alucard began to snark back at the butler when he felt Integra slap a hand over his mouth, making his remaining words unintelligible.

“Not another word out of you,” she shushed at her bedmate. “McCrory, I do apologize, this isn’t…well, this isn’t what it looks like. I’ll be down shortly for breakfast. And your discretion is appreciated.” She finished pointedly. She didn’t think McCrory was a gossip, but she wanted to err on the side of caution.

“Right, then. I’ll…uh…leave you to it, my lady. Again, I’m sorry for the intrusion,” McCrory bowed and quickly left the room.

Integra heard the door close and she groaned, running a hand through her tangled, sleep-matted hair. She felt Alucard lay back down next to her, and he reached out to wrap an arm around her waist to try and tug her back with him.

“Go back to sleep, ‘tegra.” He mumbled against the pillows. She was fairly certain that given the opportunity, he would want to lay here with her until sunset.

She smiled down at him and sighed. It was a tempting offer, but she was already wide-awake after that embarrassing encounter. “I have to get up now; I have work to do. You can stay here if you like, though. I’ll make sure the maids don’t bother with tending to my room today.” She heard him grumble out something incoherent, and he shuffled back down and covered his head with blankets. She climbed out of bed and walked over to the desk and took several sips of tea before she went to her wardrobe to pick out her clothes. It was Sunday, so she could dress casually as she didn’t have any pressing meetings. She pulled out a soft sweater and some dark trousers and walked to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

Alucard was vaguely aware of the shower running and knew his cuddle time was over for the time being. He wanted to strangle that idiotic butler. He listened to the water in the bathroom and imagined it running down her dark skin. He wondered how mad she would get if he tried to sneak up on her while she was bathing. He grinned wickedly. He’d tried that once before several years ago and she had screeched like a banshee and bashed him in the face with a bottle of shampoo. He rolled over with a yawn and decided to stay put and behave. After all, he did want to address her little confession from the night before, and he didn’t want to piss her off beforehand. He heard the water shut off, shortly followed by the sound of her hair drier blaring. At some point, he must have dozed off because the sound of the bathroom door opening jarred him awake again.

“Is Integra Hellsing wearing something other than a suit? What a treat,” he grinned at her as she entered the bedroom. “Careful, master, you’re going to spoil me.”

She rolled her eye at him and went to pick up the paper on her desk. “As if you aren’t already spoiled rotten. I wasn’t aware that I adhered to a strict dress code. I’m going to have some breakfast and get some work done. Like I said, you’re welcome to stay and rest.” She began to walk to the door when she felt something wrap around her waist, startling her enough to make her drop the newspaper. She looked down to see a shadowy tendril pulling her back towards the bed.

“Or,” he retorted, sounding thoughtful, “…you could stay here with me for a while longer.” She was pulled closer to the bed and she had to sit abruptly when the back of her knees hit the side. He crawled over to her and he gave her a suggestive smirk.

Her face reddened at the unspoken implication, but gave him a glare. “You’re incorrigible,” she chastised him and slapped the shadow away.

He chuckled at her. “Yes, exceedingly so.” He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to his chest, nestling her between his legs. “However, what else should you expect from me after your admission last night?” He watched her face blanch, and his smile grew. “You drop that tantalizing information in my lap and just drift off to sleep without a care in the world while I was left with my thoughts. How deliciously cruel of you.” He started to nuzzle his nose at her neck and he heard her breath hitch. “You and your words and your half-dressed body pressed so tightly against me all night was torturous – in a very pleasant way, mind you. I had hours and hours to contemplate all sorts of ideas to repay the favor.” He began to place gentle kisses along her neck and jawline. He felt her hand grip the hair on the back of his head, pulling him closer. She sighed when his teeth grazed her skin softly. “After all, I want to make sure you know, without a doubt in your mind, that I fully and completely reciprocate your affections.” He nipped at the skin behind her ear. “Not that it was a secret or anything. I’m fairly certain you know just how fond I am of you, dear Integra. But I insist that you allow me to demonstrate.”

 _Oh my...that wasn’t a dream after all,_ she thought in a panic, but her initial anxiety was quickly replaced by arousal from his delicate ministrations. She started to squirm and pulled at his hair to guide him so that he had to look her in the eye. “Quit running your mouth and kiss me properly, damn it,” she said breathlessly. _In for a penny, in for a pound,_ she internally reasoned. She felt his hands at her waist adjust her slightly so that she was facing him, forcing her legs to straddle his. She leaned in and closed the distance between them, brushing her lips against his softly. Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears and she felt like a dam had burst in her chest. She felt his lanky arms close around her in a vice-like grip and his lips responded to hers almost frantically. _This is **real** , he’s **real** , and I’m really doing this_, her mind raced.

Her warm lips were soft and a little unsure against his. After no less than 13 years in the making, he felt as if he had to hold himself back lest he crush her in his eager grasp. He felt her wind her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and enveloping him in the heat of her body. He deepened the kiss and he heard a small whine in her throat when one of his hands gripped her hip and the other stroked her outer thigh. When his tongue began to explore her searing mouth, he was gifted with more soft moans of satisfaction from her. He could get addicted to those sounds and especially the heady taste of her. She tasted so sweet, so delicious.

Integra was certain that she was going to combust into flames – her skin felt so heated against the coolness of his. She wanted more of him, and she wasn’t feeling particularly patient. She finally broke away to catch her breath and he chased after her, trailing kisses down her jaw and any other bare skin he could reach, pulling at the neckline of her sweater so he could nibble at her chest. His hands were wandering now, and she let out a yelp when he squeezed her bum. She felt him chuckle against her neck at her surprise. The blood was rushing in her ears and she could feel her pulse between her legs. She made quick work of his shirt buttons and exposed the pale column of his throat, leaning in to lick at his jugular, and she heard him let out a guttural moan. She gasped when she felt him harden against her inner thigh and her hips seemed to move subconsciously to rub herself against him. She was trembling all over, and she could feel that she was already soaked. “Ah-a-alucard…” she breathed his name against his clavicle when his grip on her hips almost became painful, pulling her down to grind against him harder. She would surely have bruises later. “Please…” she pleaded, not entirely sure what she was asking for. Her brain was in a dull haze at the moment.

And, once again, because she is apparently a cursed woman, her cell began to ring.

“Ignore it,” he panted against her cleavage. One of his hands was currently inside of her sweater attempting to unlatch her bra while the other still had a tight grip on her rocking hips.

She desperately wanted to. She really did. She pulled herself away slightly, cupping his face and pulling him away from his nibbling. She kissed the tip of his nose and sighed deeply. “Sorry, Count,” she whispered. She dug her phone out of her pocket and saw that it was one of the Council members trying to reach her. “Those idiots are going to keep blowing up my phone until I call them back.” She almost laughed at the sheer contempt of Alucard’s glare at the offensive little device in her hand. “Perhaps we can continue later?” She asked him coyly. That seemed to perk him right up.

“I’m going to hold you to that, Integra,” his voice was low and rough with lust and it took everything in her power to not throw her phone across the room and just stay in bed with him the rest of the day.

“I’d expect nothing less.” She untangled her limbs from him and straightened her clothes as she got up from the bed. She internally grimaced at the slickness between her legs and how it made her underwear cling to her uncomfortably. Alucard flung the blankets back over himself sullenly, like a child throwing a temper-tantrum. She couldn’t help but snicker and his antics, and leaned in to kiss what she assumed was the top of his head before leaving him.

\----------

Integra had made her way through several emails that afternoon after her call to update Brady. She had reluctantly decided to hold a meeting at the estate with the Council to address Alucard’s return later in the week. The call she had missed earlier was from Sir Walsh – he had left a message that was more or less a warning that the other knights were beginning to get suspicious about her trying to put them off without a live meeting. She had scoffed at that. How dare they question her – after all that’s she done, what she’s sacrificed for this organization. What remained of the Council of Twelve were mostly the sons or nephews of the knights that she had served alongside all those years ago. The majority of the original knights had died during the attack on London, all except for Walsh and Islands. Since then, Islands had passed away, leaving her and Sir Walsh with a group of – for a lack of better words – children to deal with. Most were in their mid-twenties and had no real experience in dealing with vampires or any other supernatural threats. She had originally thought the push for an in-person meeting was mainly just to satisfy their curiosity, but after Walsh’s call, she wondered if they harbored doubts about her ability to rein in Alucard after his long absence. She thought it was funny how they never worried about Seras. No, those pigs simply adored the busty draculina and had nothing but praise for her and never once questioned her loyalty to the organization. Alucard, however, as an entirely different matter altogether, she supposed. It was no secret how much destruction that he had contributed during the war. Perhaps since they never worked with him personally, they were just a bit wary. _Fair enough_ , she internally conceded.

She felt the walls of her office ripple and saw Captain Bernadette drift down from the ceiling to stand before her desk. He tipped his hat in greeting as he puffed on a bent up cigarette. “Good afternoon, boss,” he said with a broad grin.

“Hello Captain,” she said while glaring at the cigarette in his mouth. Did he really have to smoke that thing in front of her? “Is there something the matter?” He didn’t usually bother her unless he noticed a potential security breach. He occasionally just showed up to chat, but she was aware that he knew that she didn’t appreciate idle chatter whenever she had work to do.

“Ah, just a couple of things, nothing serious though.” He said as he waived his hands in front of him, trying to reassure her. “I just wanted to talk to you about Seras really quick.”

“Is she alright?” Integra asked, now concerned. Seras had seemed unsettled after the mission, but she wasn’t aware of anything serious being wrong.

“Oh, yes, yes, she’s fine. It’s just that…well,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I couldn’t help but notice that she was really uncomfortable during the job last night. I know I joked with her a bit, but I think she was more bothered than I initially thought. And I also know that she’s perfectly capable of handling herself with these things, but…well, you know what she’s lived through. Those people were kind of aggressive towards her last night, and I think it rattled her more than she let on.”

Integra hummed. “Did she say something to you after she was dismissed last night? I know you were on her case with your teasing. Are you sure she wasn’t just aggravated at your repugnant behavior?” She saw him visibly wince at that remark.

“No, not exactly. And I did apologize to her in private after I noticed how upset she was,” he said with remorse. He stared down at his feet. “You know how she gets. She’s so eager to work on this case, and I don’t think she’d admit to being bothered by working with these people because she’s afraid that you’d take her out of the field. I was hoping maybe you could talk to her tonight? She always listens to you. It may do her some good to let some of this stuff off her chest.”

Integra frowned and nodded. “I understand. Thank you for letting me know, Captain Bernadette. I’ll have a word with her. Anything else?”

“Thanks, boss. I think she’d feel more comfortable talking to you about it. As for the other thing…” he seemed to hesitate again. “Ah, well, it’s probably nothing, but uh…”

“Out with it, Captain. I’ve got six more emails in my inbox that I want to get through within the next couple of hours.”

Pip looked as if he was trying to stifle a nervous grin. “Well, I know that you’ve barred me from looking in to your room, and I definitely respect that – I’ve only taken a peek when Seras was in there with you. Not to be a creep!” He added hastily. “But I also know that I’m supposed to monitor the comings and goings of everyone in the mansion…”

Integra braced herself. She was fairly certain she knew where he was going with this. And though McCrory may not be a worry, she knew that Pip Bernadette was a notorious gossip – far worse than any housewife or schoolgirl that she’d ever encountered in her life.

“If I may interrupt you, Captain,” Integra said, calmly. “Whoever comes and goes into my room with my consent is my business and mine alone. Unless you hear any calls for help or distress, I wouldn’t concern yourself with such matters. And it certainly wouldn’t do for you to spread baseless rumors about such activity. Do I make myself clear?” She stared him down as if she could burn a hole through him.

Pip laughed nervously. “O-of course, boss! I would never! I just wanted to make sure that you were, uh…aware of your late night visitor. Because you know…Big Red is kind of creepy, and I wasn’t sure if he had snuck in there without your permission. But if you had invited him in, that’s a different matter entirely. So…if that’s the case…a congrats is in order, I think? I mean you two clearly needed to knock boots sooner than later, but better late than never, right?” He was rambling at this point.

“That’s **quite enough** out of you, Bernadette. And don’t be making assumptions. How dare you say such impudent things,” Integra’s face was radiating heat at this point. “You are dismissed. And I’m serious about your gossiping. I guarantee that you will **deeply** regret it.”

“Understood, Sir Integra,” Pip gulped and nodded with a grim look on his face. _Goddamn, she’s terrifying when she wants to be,_ he thought to himself. He quickly dissipated into the nearest wall before he could stick his foot ever further into his mouth.

Integra glared at him as he drifted. _Damn it. I haven’t really thought this through at all._ She started rifling through her desk drawers for a nicotine patch. She was a master of compartmentalizing her emotions, so she had decided that when she left her room earlier that morning, she wouldn’t think about her dilemma until after she got some work done so that she wouldn’t be so distracted. _Should I keep this a secret? Clearly, the Council doesn’t need to know. But can I really keep a relationship from people here on site at the estate?_ She found a patch and slapped in on her shoulder underneath her sweater.

During his absence, she’d agonized over what she would do when he returned. She told herself she should have the courage to tell him how she felt, and she was glad that she actually had the gall to do it after so many years of pining. She hadn’t really given that much thought to what would transpire afterwards, though. It’s not like they could go public with a relationship. Was it right to keep it under wraps, to sneak around like two people having some sort of elicit affair? _Actually, he’d probably get a kick out of that. The vampire hunter and the literal king of vampires shacking up together like some sort of twisted fairytale. He does love his dramatics, after all._ She snorted at that thought. Maybe she was worrying too much. She had spent the majority of her life planning out her actions, strategizing everything to the last detail – it was a necessity. Hasn’t she earned the right to be impulsive, to be just a little selfish for once?

Instead of dwelling on her thoughts, she returned to her emails, wanting to get them out of the way before dinnertime. She also needed to get in the right frame of mind to talk to Seras and focus on making sure that she was all right. She sighed. Hopefully, she could put at least put Seras at ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thanks for reading chapter 8! 
> 
> Next chapter, we have a little family bonding and Seras gets a pep talk.


	9. Morale

_You'll find many ways to say, 'I love you'_  
You'll find many ways to understand what love is  
Many ways, many ways 

_Sylvan Esso, There Are Many Ways to Say I Love You_

Seras felt as if a truck had hit her. Even though she turned in early, she’d tossed and turned and dreamed about anonymous hands roaming all over her body. She shivered in repulsion as she remembered the way those women stroked her thighs, trying to coax her into a false sense of security. She wasn’t able to go back to sleep after her odd dreams and had spent the majority of the afternoon in the media room wrapped up in blankets with her laptop attempting to type out her mission report. She’d thankfully avoided people for the most part of the day. She only sought out McCrory earlier that morning before she turned in so that she could tell him to let Integra sleep in late today. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was getting late, and she felt her stomach growl. Just as she was about to pull herself off the couch to fetch something to eat, Integra entered the room.

“Ah, there you are, Seras. I thought I might find you in here. I brought you some dinner.” Integra crossed the room and sat down on the couch next to Seras and handed her two blood bags.

“Oh, thanks, master. You didn’t have to do that,” Seras said and offered Integra a small smile while moving the laptop to the coffee table. She shifted slightly in her blanket cocoon to allow Integra more space. “I kind of lost track of time working on my report. I was actually about to grab something, so thanks for saving me the trip.”

Integra crossed her legs and looked at Seras closely, and the little blonde already felt nervous. Integra was wearing that face that she made whenever she wanted to have a serious conversation. It reminded Seras of her own mother whenever she would sense that Seras was upset. Her mother would never outright ask her if anything was wrong, but she just always seemed to know and would hover around until she would break down and tell her. The memory made her eyes sting a little.

“Seras, would you like to tell me what kept you up today? Bernadette seems to think that you’re feeling troubled about the mission, and judging from your countenance, I’d say that I agree with him,” Integra said, cutting straight to the point.

Seras looked down to one of the blood bags in her lap and fiddled with the plastic trim along the edges. “Oh, it was nothing, really. I just had a bad dream and couldn’t go back to sleep,” she explained quietly. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Well, _‘nothing’_ wouldn’t have caused you to lose half a day’s worth of sleep,” Integra argued gently. “Are you sure you’re all right? If this assignment is causing too much stress…”

“NO! No, I can handle the mission just fine. I just,” Seras took a deep breath. “I mean, yeah, I was really uncomfortable last night, but I can handle it myself. There’s no need to pull me off the mission—”

“I’m not saying that you can’t handle it, Seras,” Integra interrupted. “But I also never want to put you in a position that makes you feel that distressed. I know that you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, and you are by no means a weak person. I also know that I don’t want to see you so uncomfortable. It’s my job to take care of my employees, and I take my job very seriously. You also happen to be my dearest friend.” Integra gave Seras an encouraging smile. “How about you tell me the specifics of what’s bothering you so that we can figure out a solution together?”

Seras nodded and swallowed before she began to speak. “I…I just felt kind of cornered, you know? Everyone was looking at me like…like all they could think about was what they would do to me if they got their hands on me. And those women just kept touching me, and I hated it but I didn’t want to screw up the job. Of course, I could’ve snapped those two girls in half like a couple of twigs, but…you know, blown cover and all.” Seras’s voice was getting progressively quieter as she went on. “It’s funny, you know…you’d think I’d be used to people making gross comments and advances toward me by now, but it still just makes me feel horrible. And…I guess me feeling so out of control of the situation made me have that dreadful dream. S-sorry, it’s so dumb, I know.”

Integra listened carefully. “First of all, it is not dumb in the least. Second, I’m so sorry Seras – I didn’t even consider that you’d be put in such a position. Which was a huge oversight on my part…Brady literally told me that there was a possibility of the club being sexual in nature. But I hope that you know that you can come to me and let me know if something’s bothering you, no matter how insignificant it seems. And if you ever have trouble sleeping, you can keep me company during the day. I can always find some paperwork for you to do. You’d be back to sleep in no time, and the only nightmares you would be able to conjure would involve budgeting spreadsheets.” Integra finished with a small grin.

Seras returned the smile. “Thanks, master. I know you’re only looking out for me. And Pip is, too. Even if he is an absolute git sometimes,” she said ruefully. “But I still don’t want you to pull me from the mission. Not when we’ve actually got a lead.”

“I may have a solution to our problem, actually. They want a young, eager, sexually open, pretty girl to help them push pills. We can still give them one. Well, not an actual girl, but he doesn’t really mind looking like one, does he?” Integra’s smile grew. “Alucard’s been whining about not being included in this case, so I say we let him get involved.”

Seras raised her eyebrows. “You think he’d be able to…play the part? I mean, you said yourself he isn’t one for delicate stuff like this.”

“He will if I tell him to be,” Integra replied, sounding glib.

“I thought my ears were burning. Whatever will you have me doing, my master? You know I’m always eager to please,” Alucard drifted out of the shadows in the corner. Integra kept her face impassive at his entrance. She knew they had unfinished business to deal with, but she hoped that he would behave in front of Seras in the meantime.

“Master! You shouldn’t eavesdrop on lady conversation. It’s rude,” Seras protested. She wondered how much of the discussion he had actually heard. She spent the better part of the first few months of knowing him being constantly chastised for being a weakling, the “lowest of the low” vampire, and she wasn’t eager to resume that title.

“Nonsense, police girl. I’m a perfect gentleman,” he said while striding over to the chair next to the couch. “Now, I believe our master was just about to give me an assignment. Has my temporary decommission been lifted?” He sat and languidly crossed his legs while regarding the two women on the couch.

Integra sighed. “You were never _decommissioned_ ; don’t be ridiculous. We were just discussing how you might be useful in the next phase of the mission. Seras will need to reach out to those women soon, and I think it may be a perfect opportunity for her to introduce her very eager girl friend. I take it that you are still able to alter your form?”

Alucard smiled and let himself become engulfed by his shadows. Once the shadows cleared, a small teenage girl in a white suit sat in his place. “Yes, I can still take any form that I wish, master.” He gave her a wink. “Why, are you curious to try something new?”

“I think you need to age up a bit, master,” Seras added, not giving a flustered Integra an opportunity to reply. “You need to look at least legal, and you seem around 15 right now. These people are in to some weird stuff, but I don’t think they’re looking for anything like _that_.”

He let himself shift once again, this time appearing to be around 20 or so. He had added a couple of inches to his height as well as widened the hips and bust. His cheeks were less round, but still youthful. He cleared his throat and spoke with the sultry tone of a young woman, “What about now? Does this better suit your needs?”

“Perfect! Oh, this is a brilliant idea, master Integra,” Seras beamed. “Those people will be too busy fawning over master to pay me any attention.”

Integra grinned back at her. “My point exactly. When you reach out to your contacts, you will explain that you’re bringing a friend that is also interested in being one of these ‘Vamp Girls’. Whenever you meet up with them, Alucard will accompany you and be the main focus. He’ll accept the job offer and you can allow him to take the brunt of the inappropriate advances. You can either accept or decline their offer yourself, Seras. Either way, we still have a contact on the inside with a plausible reason for you to also be involved.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about you being so willing to whore me out, master. Should I be flattered?” Alucard let himself revert to his original appearance. “Regardless, I look forward to meeting these people. Such absurdity, wanting to masquerade as vampires in such an impotent way. Though, I suppose it’s nothing new – humans are always searching for something to numb themselves from reality or distract them from their own mundane existence. If only they new how precious their humanity was. How pitiful it is that they take it for granted.”

Integra noticed how wistful he looked for a moment. “I’ll let Seras give you more details on how you should interact with these people, Alucard. I only gave you a very brief overview the other day. You’ll need to be on your best behavior. No coming in with guns blazing like you usually do.” Integra stood from the couch. “Seras, I still need that written report completed as soon as you can. Let me know if you have any questions or if you just need to talk.” Integra added gently before she left.

Alucard watched her leave the room. Part of him wanted to join her, but he also didn’t want to seem so clingy. He planned to find her later in the evening to hopefully continue where they left off this morning, regardless. Besides, he had been meaning to catch up with his fledgling.

“Seras,” he spoke and saw her visibly jump at his voice. He rarely addressed her by her actual name. “I suppose I should thank you for taking such good care of our master in my absence. Integra is a strong woman, without question, but I can only imagine the seemingly insurmountable amount of obstacles that you two had to face together. Integra tells me that you’ve made leaps and bounds while I was away.” He looked Seras directly in the eyes as he spoke to her earnestly. “I won’t lie to you, I had my doubts about your abilities whenever I first brought you here. But I’m rather pleased to have been proven wrong. I knew from the first moment that I met you that you had a strong will and determination. You have proven yourself to be quite the capable nosferatu, my dear fledgling. Whatever is causing you concern in this mission shouldn’t trouble you in the least. I have no doubt that you are more than able to handle yourself accordingly.”

Seras didn’t even try to stifle the large, bloody tears that rolled down her cheeks. He had apparently heard enough of her earlier conversation after all. Still, her heart swelled at his praises. “T-thank you, master,” she sniffled and tried to keep her lip from wobbling. “That means s-so much coming from you. I…it was hard in the beginning, when you left. But I knew you’d be back, I just knew it! And I had to be strong for Sir Integra, as well. She’s _my_ master, too, you know. And my friend.” Seras didn’t mention the long nights that she spent consoling Integra, who had lost hope that he would ever come home. How the two women had talks late into the night and early morning about the loss of everything and everyone close to them; how they allowed themselves to grieve. “It’s good to have you back,” she added with a watery voice.

He smiled at her softly. “It’s good to be home, Seras.” He reached over, and for a blissful moment, Seras expected him to ruffle her hair like she was a little kid. Instead, much to her indignation, he snatched one of the blood packs from her lap.

“H-hey! That’s my dinner!” Seras wailed. “Go get your own!” She watched as he ripped the tube at the end and sipped on it.

“Ah, but this is so much more convenient. Also, I haven’t had the opportunity to dine with my fledgling since you’ve starting drinking your blood like a proper vampire,” he reasoned with her.

His smirk was irritating her immensely and she pursed her mouth so she wouldn’t say anything she’d regret later. She eventually relented and bit into her remaining pack. Hearing the pride he had in his voice when he spoke of her was incredibly validating, and she wanted to bask in the praise as long as she was able to do so. “Fine then, master. You owe me one, though.”

“Fair enough,” he laughed at her little puffed cheeks. “Now then, police girl, I believe we have some work to do. Tell me everything I need to know about these drug-addled, imposter vampires.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed some family fluff this chapter. 💕 I wanted to give Alucard a chance to be a good, supportive vampire dad. Meanwhile, I think Integra would definitely be the kind of mom friend that would eviscerate anybody that just looked at someone she cared about in an off-putting way. And Seras? She'd kick in teeth for Seras. 👏
> 
> I've seen some fan theories that Seras's trauma from witnessing her parents murder (and the assault of her mother's dead body) would possibly manifest in a way that made her super uncomfortable with sexual advances. Which, unfortunately, since you know...tiny, cute and possessing massive boobs - she experiences a lot of. I kind of took some liberties with that theory here. Like... I imagine that she would have to feel super comfortable with her partner before opening up to them sexually and she would be SUPER not cool with people hitting on her in a really lewd way (which we kind of see in the manga/ultimate in how she reacts to inappropriate advances). So, yeah. Hopefully, I handled it tactfully.
> 
> Next chapter...is spicy. 🙈🔥


	10. Terms and Conditions

_All those empty rooms_ _  
We could have been anywhere, anywhere else  
Instead I made a bed with apathy  
My heart knew the weight  
Ten years worth of dust and neglect  
We made our peace with weariness  
And let it be_

_\- Crane Wives, The Moon Will Sing_

Alucard spent a few hours with Seras that evening. Once they determined a general plan of meeting the pill-pushing women, Alucard chatted with the girl about more mundane things, like how she was getting on with having the Frenchman as a constant companion and how she managed her energy with keeping him separated from her body. He was actually able to give her a few helpful pointers – some were received better than others. She had looked mortified whenever he tried to tell her that if she wanted to allow herself and her familiar to enjoy more frequent _recreational_ physical capabilities, that she needed to drink straight from the vein of a living person.

“I’m just saying, Seras. You could be taking full advantage of having such an eager familiar that loves you so dearly. You don’t have to kill anyone – just a sip or two would be enough,” he had explained to the flustered girl.

“M-master, really, you don’t have to…” Seras was hiding her face behind her hands. “It’s fine, we’re managing… ** _that_** kind of stuff just fine.”

He had cackled at her embarrassment, and nearly doubled over in tears whenever Pip himself butted in to add his approval of Alucard’s suggestion. He dismissed himself whenever the two started bickering. He had his own _recreational activities_ that he wanted to indulge in tonight. He sensed Integra’s presence in her bedroom, and a sinister grin spread across his face as he let himself travel through the shadows.

\-----------

Integra groaned as she slipped herself into her massive bathtub. The calming scent of lavender and eucalyptus met her nose as she inhaled the soothing hot steam. She allowed her mind to wander as she closed her eyes. It had been busy for a Sunday, but she had at least managed to get a lot of things off her to-do list today. There was still one thing that she had put on the back burner that she hadn’t really allowed herself to dwell on – her earlier, rather heated, encounter with Alucard.

She couldn’t help but smile thinking about it now. It was as if she was an entirely different person earlier that morning – some sort of sultry, sensual…well, _woman_. She had long resigned her own identity to that of her job title alone: a knight, the protector of crown and country, and the director of the Hellsing organization. She existed as some sort of genderless being that was boiled down to a function, a purpose. She had pride in her work, that she couldn’t deny, but she rarely let herself indulge in her more base desires. That had slowly been changing since the fallout of Millennium. Watching the entire world as you know it be entirely upended had a way of changing one’s perspective on what was really important. Something as trivial as a girl’s night with Seras would have been a laughable notion to her years ago, and now it was simply commonplace – something that seemed very refreshing, actually. She almost started to laugh out loud to herself at the silliness of it all. Perhaps this was her quarter life crisis – staying up late with a friend and watching movies over drinks and sneaking around having dalliances with her servant. _Quite tame, really, if you look at it like that,_ Integra reasoned with a wry grin to herself.

The water was slowly cooling, but she didn’t want to leave just yet. While she most certainly had enjoyed herself this morning, she was still a little nervous. Leaving the sanctity of the bathroom meant that she would actually have to follow through with her promise of continuing where they left off. She couldn’t believe that little coquettish suggestion came out of her. _Maybe I’ve secretly been a vixen all along, and I’ve just been repressing it all these years._ Integra let out an undignified snort at that thought. She had as much sexual prowess as a cardboard box, in her opinion. Sure, she knew the basic mechanics of sex, but she hadn’t actually engaged in anything with another person. The idea that there was a possibility of needing to rely on _his_ expertise made her stomach feel as if it were full of lead. Then, of course, was the matter of how far she wanted to take their liaison this particular evening. There was a long list of reasons why she shouldn’t have full relations with him, but she wasn’t really sure that she’d have the strength to not go further if it were an option. If this morning was any indication of her fortitude, she doubted that she’d have the resolve to stop herself. _I’ve been winging this whole thing so far, so why not tonight as well? Haven’t I waited long enough to get what I want?_

With that thought, she stood and pulled the plug from the tub and let it drain as she toweled herself dry. She unclipped her hair from the messy bun she had made prior to entering the bath and shook it loose, using her fingers to untangle it. She then spritzed herself with her favorite perfume before wrapping herself in a plush robe to leave the bathroom and find some pajamas. She settled on a simple pale blue nightgown – it wasn’t particularly special, but she figured it was more alluring than her usual sleepwear. _Oh good lord, look at me…picking out something to wear for him. What nonsense_. She suddenly heard a rumbling laughter coming from the corner of her room and she spun around, clutching her robe tightly to her body.

“Your thoughts are very loud tonight, master,” Alucard said as he drifted out of the shadows.

“And what have I told you about listening to my thoughts?” Integra felt her embarrassment color her face. “How dare you, you audacious…”

“Now, now…” he attempted to soothe her rising temper. “I wasn’t listening to any specific thoughts, master. I just noticed that you were getting a little…stressed, I believe?” He leered at her, “Though, I’m interested to know what you were getting so ruffled about concerning me while you were bathing yourself. Quite interested indeed.”

“Don’t be lewd, Alucard,” she fussed and watched as he sat himself in a plush armchair near the fireplace.

“You certainly didn’t mind my lewdness this morning,” he teased.

She folded her arms across her chest and glowered at him. “Now listen here. If this…this…whatever _this_ is between us is going to happen, we need to set up some ground rules.”

He looked very amused at that statement and nodded with mock solemnness. “Of course, master. Shall we fetch Seras so she can stand in as a witness to this contract? Perhaps she could even act as a notary and draw up an official document.”

Integra laid the nightgown on the dresser and walked closer to where he sat in the chair. “I’m being serious, Alucard. This could get…complicated to say the least. I just want…” she let out a puff of air before continuing, trying to gather her thoughts. “The Council will be watching Hellsing very closely now that you’re back. We’re going to be put under a microscope, and I don’t want to give them any fodder or excuses to make themselves more involved than they already are. The knights mainly consist of distrustful young men that barely know me, or the history of this organization. They’re aware that I’m going to hand off Hellsing to the government whenever I decide to retire, but I don’t doubt that they’d love to get their grubby little hands on us and take over before that happens.”

“One would think that they would be more grateful to the woman that saved the lives of thousands,” Alucard replied.

Integra gave a mirthless laugh. “You would think that, wouldn’t you? They play nice for the most part, but there was backlash whenever I made the official statement about Hellsing. I believe they wanted to keep it private – or perhaps they thought I was going to bestow the honor of handing over the organization to one of them. The audacity of that lot – as if I’d let any of those inexperienced pups sully the family legacy.”

Alucard chuckled at that. “I wouldn’t let myself be commanded by anyone other than you, anyways. I doubt they fully understand the responsibility of what carrying the Hellsing director title truly entails.” He reached forward to grasp the end of her robe belt and tugged at a loose thread.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. But I don’t want to give them reasons to draw up my resignation papers, either,” she said and grabbed the hand that was fidgeting with her belt. “If they think I’m being influenced by you, I believe they would attempt to order your containment and have me step down from my position.” Her blue eyes met his molten red ones. “I won’t let that happen, Alucard. Not that I think the queen would allow it, either. She sends her regards, by the way.” She removed the glove from his captured hand and began to trace the spidery scars of the seal etched into his skin delicately with her own fingers. “Regardless, I don’t want to cause trouble. So whatever we decide to do from this moment forward, we need to be tactful.”

He was becoming terribly distracted by her touch. Her skin, though rough from years of fencing, felt like liquid fire against his cold dead flesh and it made him ache for more. “Master, as I’ve said before, I’m content with whatever you’ll have of me. If you wish to only have me at your side under the cover of night, hidden away from prying eyes, I would relish every single moment.”

“I don’t believe that,” Integra replied easily. She slotted her fingers in between the spaces of his. “You’re a greedy, gluttonous thing, Alucard. You’re only going to want more and more from me, from this.”

“And isn’t that true of you as well, Integra?” His eyes were becoming hungry as he locked them on her. “Tell me, are you going to be content with simple stolen kisses and late night rendezvouses? Will you be happy with mere scraps of affection whenever you deserve so much more?” He pulled at the hand that was grasping his so that she stood even closer to him between his outstretched legs. “Why would you settle for this pitiful wretch whenever you could have anyone else you desired? I can bring you the heads of your enemies, I can bring you war, and I will gladly give you everything I have left of myself. But it’s not enough; it would never be what you truly deserve.” His eyes searched hers desperately for any sign of validation. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

She smiled at him softly and released his hand to cup his face, her thumb rubbing his cheek gently. She watched his eyes close as he pressed himself closer to her hand. “I’ve waited ten painfully long years for you, you delusional idiot. If I want to spend the rest of my days with you and _you alone_ , I believe that I’m entitled to that. I’m stuck with you either way,” she said affectionately.

He hummed as a response, still nuzzling her hand like a touch-starved, overgrown cat. “Well, if you’re stuck with me, I suppose I better make myself useful then.” He opened his eyes and her heartbeat quickened at the enamored expression they reflected.

“Yes, I believe you should,” she agreed as she settled her gaze on his lips.

That was all the invitation he needed. He’d been holding back for the last few moments and his composure was crumbling. He gently grasped her hips and pulled her across his lap, settling her so that her legs hung over the armrest. “In that case, shall we continue setting up these guidelines you wish to impose, master?” He whispered in her ear as he brushed her hair over her shoulder.

She took a shaky breath. It was a foreign feeling to touch him like this, to _let_ him touch her so easily, so intimately. Foreign it may be, but it was not at all unwelcome – it felt so very _right_. “First of all, I want to you to call me by my name when we’re together,” she said firmly. “No master/servant titles when we’re alone like this.”

He frowned at that. “Can I reserve the right to call you my master when I feel that it’s appropriate? I absolutely adore being under your boot heel, Integra,” he drug out the ‘r’ of her name playfully with a growl. “I would find it rather disappointing if I couldn’t refer to you by your rightful moniker when the occasion calls for it, no matter where we may be.”

His words sent a delightful shiver down her spine. “I suppose concessions can be made,” she said casually while wrapping her arms around his neck. “But I still expect fully professional behavior from you when we’re conducting official business. Or at least passible professionalism, rather. You are a loyal servant, but not always obedient,” She said with a roll of her eye. “And I would preferably keep affectionate displays private – perhaps an exception for Seras and possibly Bernadette. I doubt we could keep this from them even if we wanted to.”

He chuckled softly at that, and started to nose along her neck. She seemed particularly sensitive there, much to his amusement. “I am obedient when it counts, Integra.” He settled his ungloved hand on her bare knee, rubbing it gently with his thumb. The other hand wound around her back, hugging her closer to his chest. He could feel her heart thrumming rapidly, and the scent of her sweet blood pumping so close to him was intoxicating. “And your next rule?” he asked quietly.

Integra began to run her fingers through the silky hair at the nape of his neck and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Hmmm, no biting…no blood is to be drawn unless I grant it,” she said after consideration. “But perhaps we cover the details later?” In truth, she really hadn’t made a list yet. She was improvising this completely, and his hands were making her brain mush at the moment. All she wanted right now was his touch.

He felt his fangs elongate just at the mere thought of biting her, but he kept himself in check. “Consider the discussion tabled, my dear,” he smiled at her wickedly before leaning in to kiss her.

She felt heat coil in her stomach at the feel of his lips upon hers. His hand on her back tightened slightly, pulling her impossibly closer. His other hand was surprisingly staying in place on her knee, but it did make her very aware that she was still only clad in her bathrobe. Despite his cool skin and her lack of clothing, she once again felt like she was burning up. She licked at his lower lip and pressed her tongue into his eager mouth, careful not to pierce herself on his sharp teeth. His low groan made her insides clench painfully. She needed to feel more of him, and quickly. She tugged impatiently at his cravat and pulled away to catch her breath before he captured her lips once more, hungrily tracing the inside of her mouth with that inhumanly long tongue of his. Once she flung the cravat to the floor, she tugged the buttons of his shirt loose and she placed sloppy kisses along his jawline and further down his neck. He laughed breathlessly against her and she felt him pull her away. She looked at him with confusion and frustration.

“Believe me, I’m savoring this lavish treatment,” he simpered at her. “But I would much rather treat you tonight, Countess. I’ve craved you for so long,” she watched as he removed his second glove and gasped in surprise whenever he slipped a cool, bare hand inside of her robe to paw at her breasts. “I want to make this about you tonight. I want to show you what I’ve dreamed about doing to you for years. With your permission, of course.” She felt herself slowly and deliberately nod at him. She couldn’t form a reasonable verbal response to his statement, anyways.

He descended on her neck with rough licks and nips as the hand inside her robe kneaded her chest gently. She whimpered at his touches and could do little more than cling to his shoulders. She felt herself being leaned back against the armrest as his mouth lowered to her chest. The hand inside her robe pushed against the fabric until it fell from her shoulders, baring her chest completely, leaving the robe loosely tied around her waist. “You know,” he spoke roughly, “I always fantasized about touching you like this – except when I imagined it, I was sitting upon my favorite chair in my chambers. Sometimes I would think of us sitting in your office in the middle of the day, you draped across my knees.” His tongue darted out to lick between her breasts as his fingers rolled one of her nipples with a pleasant pressure. “You’d beg for my touch, for me to give you sweet release.” He began to harden against her hip and she felt her core throb in response.

“I don’t beg, Alucard,” she said breathlessly. “I won’t debase myself in such a…” She sounded authoritative for all of five seconds until he sucked a nipple into his mouth. She keened and arched her back to press her chest closer to his face. While his tongue lavished her breasts, one of his hands was tracing delicate patterns up her leg, pushing her robe up slightly.

“What were you saying, Integra? I didn’t quite catch that,” he said with a smirk after pulling away from her puckered nipple. She looked like absolute perfection at the moment. Her skin was flushed a delightful pink, her chest heaving, lips kiss-swollen, there was sweat beading at her brow and she looked so desperately wanton. He pulled one of her legs slightly to the side so he could reach her inner thighs.

Integra was about to tell him to shut his brazen mouth whenever she felt his fingers trace further and further up her thigh. All she could manage at the moment was to breathe as she felt the spring in her belly coil tighter. She was throbbing painfully at this point. She felt her breath catch whenever a finger began to barely touch at the outer lips between her legs. She buried her face in his neck and she let out a breathy moan.

“You’re already soaked, Integra,” he spoke coarsely. His touches were maddeningly light as he slowly traced his finger just outside of where she wanted him. “I’m flattered. I’ve barely touched you yet.” She felt him kiss at her shoulder and she tried to rub herself against him but a hand placed on her hip stilled her movement. “There’s no rush. I want to draw this out,” she could hear the grin in his voice. “I want you to be a dripping, shaking mess when I’m done with you.” She felt his own arousal twitch against her as he spoke.

He pushed the finger slightly firmer against her slit, dragging it slowly to spread her slickness and she bit down on the loose collar of his shirt to keep from crying out. He kept his languorous pace, just barely nudging against her swollen pearl of nerves as he swept his finger up and down.

“A-alucard, please,” she breathed pitifully against his neck. She was near tears at this point.

“I thought you never begged?” He answered with a devious tone. However, he couldn’t deny that the agonizing pace he had set was starting to wear him down as well. He felt her pull at his hair forcefully at his remark, and he shivered at the slight delicious twinge of pain.

“I swear to God, Alucard, if you don’t…” she abruptly moaned when he pressed his fingertips to her clit, rubbing it in tight circular movements. She felt him release the grip he had on her hip to allow her to rock into his hand and she shameless did so. She nearly screamed at him when she felt his fingers pull away after a few moments, but let out a loud cry whenever he slowly began to slide a finger into her tight, soaking wet entrance. Her eye rolled to the back of her head when he slightly curled it inside of her to brush against that rough patch of nerves that made her see stars. He kept his pace slow, and she compensated by rolling her hips into his hand, taking him in to the knuckle.

“Eager, aren’t we?” He kissed at her temple and watched as she ground herself into his palm. She was panting harshly against him and her blush had deepened across her face and her chest. “You’re so beautiful right now, Integra,” he praised her softly and added a second finger inside of her and savored her strangled cries of pleasure. She was rutting against him roughly now, desperate for release. He used his thumb to brush against her clit while he pumped his fingers in and out of her at a quicker pace, and watched her thrash in his arms, her moans growing louder. He was fairly certain that her cries would be audible from the hall, but he truly could not care less. He cherished every single sound he was pulling out of her.

Integra felt like every nerve in her body was on fire. She was thrusting her hips into his hand faster and faster and when he added the touch to her sensitive clit, she began to come undone. She closed her eye and threw her head back, mewling as she felt her inner walls clap down ruthlessly around his fingers as she gushed. Her hips jerked roughly against him, working through her orgasm as she felt every single muscle in her body grow taught, her throat growing hoarse from her loud cries. She fell limp in his arms when she finally began to come back down, his fingers slowing and eventually pulling out of her gently. She opened her eye and she almost moaned once more as she watched him licking his fingers clean from the slickness she left on him.

Looking quite pleased with himself, he leaned toward her and began to pepper her sweaty face with small kisses as he pulled her close to him once more. “Was that to your liking, Integra?” His smug grin wasn’t nearly as infuriating as it should have been. She found it rather boyish and endearing at the moment, actually.

“Mmmmhmmm,” she managed weakly. She felt boneless and slightly dimwitted in her afterglow. She was able to lean forward and kiss his lips softly. She felt exhausted suddenly, and was very comfortable bundled up in his lap. She shifted to curl up closer to him, tugging the robe up around her shoulders once more and felt his erection rub against her through his trousers. “What about you? Don’t you want…” he cut her off with a quick peck on the lips.

“I promise that performance was enough to satisfy my craving for the time being,” he explained. “We can save that for another time.”

She looked at him skeptically, but didn’t push the matter further. She wasn’t sure if she could actually stay awake to engage in anything else tonight, anyways. Instead she snuggled up closer to him and simply kissed his chest and nodded. She wasn’t sure how much longer they sat like that, but was aware that at some point, he moved them to the bed. She smiled lazily when she felt him curl around her.

“Goodnight, my dear Count,” she said with a yawn. She wondered if he’d stay with her the rest of the night. It was technically his waking hours, after all.

He snaked his arms around her waist and hugged her close to his chest possessively. He kissed her shoulder and whispered, “Goodnight, love.” He wouldn’t leave her side until daylight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so confession time: I have literally never written smut before. Like...ever. That earlier scene in Chapter 8? That's probably the most NSFW thing I've written so far before this chapter. I knew I wanted smut for this story because...I mean come on...they deserve it. But I've been so nervous about actually writing it! So, I hope it was decent - or at least not cringe-y. 😅 🙃
> 
> Next chapter: Integra has a morning chat with Seras, and we get a little case update.


	11. Girl Talk

_And in the telling of the story_

_I lose my way inside a prepositional phrase_

_I read his lips and I see glory_

_But what I hear is "Be afraid"_

_\- Wye Oak, Glory_

Seras sat half-awake in front of Integra’s desk and tried to stifle a yawn. She glanced at the clock on the wall once more. Integra was running late to their usual Monday morning meeting. Just as she was about to go check on Integra’s whereabouts, the woman in question walked into the room, looking uncharacteristically disheveled. Integra settled behind her desk and straightened her shirt a bit.

“Good morning, Sir Integra,” Seras said cautiously. “Are you, uh…feeling okay? You look a little…off.” Seras watched in mild astonishment as Integra flushed and looked a little sheepish. _What is wrong with her this morning?_

“My apologies for running late today. I lost track of time.” Integra looked strangely conflicted for a moment as if she wanted say something else.

“No worries – it’s okay. But are you sure you feel all right?” Seras asked. She watched Integra drum her fingers against the desk as she continued to stare back at her with a strange expression on her face.

“Yes, of course. I’m perfectly fine,” Integra replied. “Now, down to business. What’s on the agenda today?”

“Seriously, though? What’s on your mind? You can tell me,” Seras pushed. After knowing her so many years, Seras could tell when Integra was off her game. And something was clearly distracting her this morning.

Integra stared at Seras a few more moments before sighing with resignation. “Captain Bernadette? I want this room sealed off until I authorize otherwise. And no eavesdropping yourself, you shameless gossip.”

“On it, boss,” Pip’s amused voice sounded around them before an odd flash came from the walls. The room became it’s own little soundproof bubble.

“Oh, my…” Seras looked concerned. “What’s wrong? Has something awful happened?”

“No, nothing bad,” Integra replied. “It’s just…well.” Integra didn’t wear discomfort well – it looked very odd on her. Integra closed her eye and took a deep breath. “Seras, I have feelings for Alucard.”

Seras blinked owlishly at Integra in silence for a moment or two.

“I was expecting a stronger reaction, honestly,” Integra deadpanned.

“Was…was that _supposed_ to be a secret or something, master?” Seras asked plainly.

Integra felt her eye twitch slightly and she reached inside her desk drawer for a nicotine patch and glared at Seras. “Well, **_I_** wasn’t aware that it was so apparent. Anyway, I told him how I feel.”

Seras widely beamed and wiggled in her seat excitedly. “Oh my goodness! This is so wonderful! Oh, what did he say? Was it romantic? Tell me everything!”

Integra couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s response. This felt like a discussion that should have been reserved for a Frist Friday, but Integra couldn’t keep this information to herself any longer. “Well, it wasn’t particularly romantic. He came to bed with me the night of your mission – not for **that** …” Integra told her emphatically whenever Seras’s eyes grew to the size of saucers. “…and I told him before I fell asleep.”

“You…confessed your feelings and just…fell asleep? Really? You tell him this incredibly important, very emotional bit of information and just…fall asleep?” Seras blinked at her in bewilderment.

“It had been a long day!” Integra snapped back. “And I was exhausted and it just sort of…slipped out, I guess.”

“Well, what did he say?”

“I fell asleep before he could say anything.”

“Are you **_kidding_** me?!” Seras squawked.

“We addressed it the next morning! Sort of,” Integra blushed. “It was more of a…a physical interaction rather than verbal.”

Seras’s face pinked at that, but she squealed nonetheless. She didn’t really want to think of her two masters being intimate with one another, but she was excited for her friend regardless.

“Master! I can’t believe you would just go for it like that. I didn’t know you had it in you!” Seras said, grinning widely.

“We didn’t exactly go that far,” Integra blustered. “Well, at least not yesterday morning. God, listen to me. I sound like some teenager talking about necking in the back of somebody’s car.” Integra’s face and ears were glowing red at this point from embarrassment. She put her nicotine patch in place on her upper arm and tried to regain her composure.

“Oh? Is that why you’re late this morning?” Seras lowered the volume of her voice unnecessarily. “Did you guys have…”

“No! No, we did not,” Integra cut her off. “I mean…last night got a little…ah, heated…” Integra continued with a mumble. “Just a bit of heavy petting.” She wanted to crawl under her desk in mortification, but at the same time she felt like she would burst if she didn’t get this off her chest.

Seras was smiling coyly at Integra’s expressions. During the occasional First Friday, the two had the offhand conversation about their (or in Integra’s case – nonexistent) sex lives. Usually these conversations didn’t happen until they had several glasses of wine or some sort of alcohol, and Integra wasn’t usually so shy about the subject. Seras would talk about her and Pip’s antics and the women would be a giggling mess by the end of the night. Of course, it was very much a situation of the blind leading the blind. Seras had been a virgin up until right after the war, and hadn’t really had much experience and Integra had none whatsoever. Seras couldn’t help but feel excited that they could relate to each other on a new level. First Friday conversations were going to get very, very interesting indeed.

Seras’s smile grew unusually devious and looked far too much like Alucard’s grin when she asked in a singsong voice, “Welllll, how was it?”

Integra offhandedly wondered if McCrory could just bring them a pitcher of mimosas and they could just gab away all morning. Monday Mimosa Meetings had a nice ring to it. Integra’s straight-laced face faltered as she replied, “It was… **really** fucking good, actually.”

The two women burst into a fit laughter after that remark. Integra always felt years younger after talking with Seras like this. She didn’t have the opportunity to have girl friends or run around having fun in her late teens and twenties. No, she was too busy leading a paramilitary organization, and frivolities like weekend brunch meet-ups, debauchery, and dating were never meant for someone like Integra Hellsing. So, in her case, this was the closest she would ever get.

“Don’t let him know that. His ego doesn’t need to inflate any more than it already is,” Seras giggled.

“Oh, he would string you up by your toes if he heard you say that,” Integra snickered back. “But in all seriousness, I think we’re going to try and make this work.” Integra’s smile grew soft. “I just…I—I think I’ve loved him longer than I realized. And I want this; I really want this to work for us.”

Seras’s heart clenched at that statement. She was so happy for Integra. The woman’s title of “Iron Maiden” wasn’t an exaggeration by any means, but Seras also knew the true Integra Hellsing. She knew that she was a living, breathing woman that had been terribly lonely, and had felt pain for a long, long time and she deserved this happiness more than anyone. Seras reached across the desk to squeeze Integra’s hand. “I think this is going to be good for both of you, master.”

Integra smiled and squeezed the girl’s hand back. “Thank you, Seras. I do want to keep this under wraps, though. I’m worried that the knights will get wind of it and I don’t want to find out what they would do in that case. I’m pretty sure Bernadette is already aware. Possibly McCrory.”

“What the – those two knew before **ME**? What the heck, master!?”

“Well, I’m sorry! But they both found out by accident. I’m fairly certain McCrory doesn’t fully know what’s going on, but I trust him to keep the information to himself. He seems to be terrified of Alucard. As for your beau…”

“And I can’t believe Pip didn’t tell me anything, either! Oh, that little…”

“He only knew that Alucard was in my room the other night, that’s all. And I threatened him for good measure. He’s a horrible blabbermouth, you know,” Integra said.

“You don’t have to tell me, that’s for sure. Speaking of, I’m pretty sure the gardener and one of the new maids have been having an affair,” Seras said with an eye roll. “Pip says they’ve been screwing in the laundry room.”

They laughed a bit more at that. Integra sighed. “My word. Well, I frankly couldn’t care less as long as work’s getting done.” Integra pulled out her trusty planner and her favorite pen. “I suppose we should actually start our meeting now,” Integra was about to call for Pip to lift the barrier, but Seras interrupted her.

“Hold on, master!” Seras exclaimed. “You still didn’t tell me why you were running late.”

“Oh, it was nothing really. Just a particularly long-winded kiss. That vampire enjoys his theatrics in every facet of his life, apparently.” In fact, he had kissed her like she was going off to war. Perhaps he was just particularly affectionate in the mornings when he was drowsy. Regardless, she enjoyed it thoroughly and found it difficult to leave him.

“That’s not surprising, I suppose.” Seras noticed how happy Integra looked at that moment, and she wasn’t entirely certain if she had ever seen a face that serene on the woman before. With some reluctance, the girl added, “Oh master Integra, now I’m not in the mood for work. I’m going to be distracted now.”

“Whatever do you have to be distracted about?” Integra asked.

“Well, now I just want to talk about silly things,” the girl said bashfully, twiddling her thumbs.

“Seras, we have actual work to do.” Integra’s voice was steely and she once again adopted her blunt demeanor. However, once she noticed Seras deflate slightly, she added, “We’ll talk more about it during our next First Friday.” Integra always had a hard time saying no that that face.

With Seras placated, Integra ordered Pip to lift the barrier around the office and the two women attended to the business at hand.

\------------

Seras sat on her bed staring at the phone in her lap. After her meeting with Integra, she finished up her mission report and decided to turn in for the rest of the day. After her “breakfast” that evening, she sent a text to one of the women she met at the club, and was staring at the phone nervously waiting for a reply.

“Mon chéri, I don’t think gawking at it will make them reply any faster,” Pip said as he materialized next to her on the bed.

Seras groaned and leaned on his shoulder, placing the phone on the bedside table. “I know, but I can’t help but be anxious.” She felt him wrap and arm around her, rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to assuage her. “I just hope they aren’t suspicious. I’m not sure how they’re going to feel about me trying to bring along a person they haven’t even met.”

“Ah, well, what is it that they say? Worrying doesn’t take away the troubles of tomorrow; it only takes away today’s peace. Or something like that,” he offered with a shrug.

She let out a huff, but couldn’t really argue with that logic. “By the way,” she said, turning to him with an accusatory tone, “I spoke with Integra earlier. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about her and master!”

Pip rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Chérie, you know how scary Integra is! She would have tanned my hide if I said anything. And you can’t keep a secret to save your life. Or un-life…whatever, you know what I mean. You would’ve spilled the beans as soon as you saw her.” His grin grew mischievous. “So, she finally told you, eh? Mon Dieu, you should’ve heard them last night. Integra was having the time of her life.”

Seras slapped his arm playfully. “Oh, you perv! You _listened_ to them?!”

“Anyone on the same floor as them heard it, trust me,” he said with a laugh. “For someone so stoic, she’s quite a vocal lover.” He side-eyed her with a lascivious intent. “Not unlike my sweet mignonette.”

Seras’s face burned at that comment. “Oh, you’re just awful, Pip Bernadette. Let me guess, you listened to them and got yourself all worked up, didn’t you? You sicko.”

“Ah, yes, I’m a sick, sick man…” he pulled her closer. “And you are the only one that can cure my ailment.” He feigned a pained look and dramatically swept his free hand across his forehead.

She giggled at him. “You’re sick and a sap.” She didn’t resist him when he leaned in for a kiss.

She also didn’t resist him when he pulled her down to the bed to lavish her with more affection. The two entwined on the bed, playfully exchanging kisses with one another while the cellphone on the bedside table lit up with a notification, unnoticed by the pair.

\---------

Alucard watched from the shadows as Integra dutifully worked at her desk, seemingly none the wiser to his spying. He thought back to her wrapped up in his arms this morning, her soft sighs as he kissed her sleepy face. He would’ve never thought he would have the privilege to touch her with anything other than platonic intent, and yet here he was, basking in the exhilaration of having her body sprawled in his lap, wet and gasping and moaning for him – having her professing her affections for _him_. It was as if his wildest dreams had come true, and it left his mind reeling. To no surprise, he felt himself being drawn to her more than ever.

“Alucard, if you insist on lurking, have the decency to at least show yourself,” Integra spoke up from her desk without her eye ever leaving her laptop.

His dark laughter surrounded her as she watched him emerge from his hiding place. “I see that you’re able to sense my presence once again.”

“You didn’t exactly make it difficult. Your shadows are particularly suffocating this evening,” she said, looking at him evenly.

“My apologies, master. I can’t seem to help myself. I’ve been replaying last night over and over again in my mind and I can’t help but want to be near you,” he purred.

“Well, I’m still working and will be for a few hours, so I need to you to keep those thoughts to yourself until later,” she responded with an almost bored tone, though her face flushed slightly. “By the way, I forgot to mention it last night, but there is going to be a meeting here at the estate later this week with the Council to officially address your return. You will be expected to attend, and I believe it goes without saying that you will need to be on your best behavior.”

“Aren’t I always?” He asked with a grin, sitting on the edge of her desk.

She scoffed. “Hardly,” She responded and shifted her paperwork away from him slightly. “I’m being serious, Alucard. You need to be the very picture of obedience in front of these fools.”

“Naturally. I could always prostrate myself at your feet and lave at your boots in front of them, if that’s what you command, my master,” he half-jested.

She narrowed her eye at him. He always liked to make a show of how subservient he was to her whenever he had an audience. He, however, always managed to take it from “obedient” to “perverse” in a heartbeat.

“Keep up this cheeky attitude of yours, and I’ll present you to them on a leash with a collar around your neck.”

He visibly shivered at that remark and looked at her intensely. “Promise, master?” His voice lilted playfully and she saw his pupils dilate.

Before Integra could respond, Seras burst through the office door waving her phone in her hand. “They responded! They answered my text!” The little blonde sounded winded as if she had sprinted from the sublevels all the way to Integra’s office. “They want to meet us this weekend.”

Integra took Seras’s phone and looked over the text, making a note of the address on a spare sticky note on her desk. “Well done, Seras. I’ll order some surveillance on the area beforehand, though I imagine they picked a neutral location for the initial meet-up. My guess is that you’re going to be taken elsewhere to actually get introduced to the dealer.”

“I’m just so relieved they actually texted me back,” Seras said after finally catching her breath.

“I suppose the more the merrier,” Integra said. “Don’t answer the text right away, lest you look desperate. We’ll make more detailed preparations later in the week. We’ve got to make it through this bloody Council meeting first.”

“Oh, you’re still worried about that? It’s going to be fine, Sir Integra,” Seras reassured. “Master, you will behave, won’t you?”

“Of course I will. Why must you both assume that I will make a mess of things? I’ve never once acted out of turn with these imbeciles, yet here I am being scolded for something that hasn’t even occurred yet,” Alucard grumbled.

“I know you haven’t. I’m just emphasizing how important this is,” Integra said. He actually looked irritated and it threw her off for a moment. “If it seems like I’m being rash about all of this, it’s because I’m just being cautious.”

“Yeah, master, it’s not personal or anything,” Seras added. “They’re kind of – well, for the most part, they’re okay. There are a handful of them, though, that are just…well— they are entitled, spoiled, rich-boy brats. And I imagine that you’ll want to knock them down a peg or two.”

He looked slightly less tense and chuckled at Seras’s comment. “If the stakes are as high as you claim, I will keep my thoughts to myself, no matter how tempting it may be.”

“Oh, master, I almost forgot! We need to get you a new phone,” Seras said, as she placed her own in her pocket.

“That’s a very good idea, Seras,” Integra said. “It wouldn’t hurt to give him a demo as well. It would also be beneficial to get him set up with a laptop and show him how we write up our mission reports these days as well.” She watched his face sour at the mention of paperwork.

“Oh, yeah! I hope your typing skills are good, master,” Seras told the wary elder vampire. “I think you’ll appreciate the upgrades.”

“Oh, the joy…” he said flatly, but got up from his seat on the desk to follow an eager Seras out the door. He leaned over to give Integra a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. “I’ll see you later tonight, Countess,” he whispered before pulling away.

Seras pinked at the affectionate display as Alucard walked up to her. “Well, lead the way, police girl.”

“R-right! Yes, let’s get going!” Seras gave Integra a meaningful look and a wink before the two vampires left the office.

Integra smiled to herself as they left, and felt her anxiety wane a bit. Only a few weeks ago, she would have given anything to have this – the three of them setting up mission plans, bickering, and whatnot just like the old days. Instead of worrying herself sick over the meeting, she would instead focus on the warm feeling in her chest and the comfort of having her little family back together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting a little bit early this week. I'll be running errands all day tomorrow, and I will definitely forget to post if I don't do it now. 
> 
> I had so much fun writing this - Seras/Integra shenanigans are just the best. And seeing their interactions in the manga/OVA, I love the idea of these two just bickering and joking around, being gal pals.
> 
> Next chapter: The Council grills Integra, and Integra tries not to lose her shit. 😤
> 
> Also: THANK YOU guys so much for your positive comments on the last chapter! I was so nervous about it, but hearing that it was an enjoyable read made me feel so much better. I'm planning on future, more smuttier-smut in this story, so this is great feedback. 😈

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello. I haven't written a fic for anything in YEARS, so why not write for a nearly dead fandom? All kidding aside, this quarantine had me revisiting Hellsing Ultimate and I was feeling nostalgic so I decided why not go for it. Have a bit of fluff. 
> 
> I also hated the 30 year gap, so we're shortening it to ten. That's still long enough to suck, but not so long that it's tragic. Again, I crave the fluff, but I hope it still retains that Hellsing feel without becoming too OOC. Let me know what you think!


End file.
